RE: [CH] hot chocolate... hotter than usual V8 #502

Scott Ashkenaz (sashkenaz@attbi.com)
Thu, 28 Feb 2002 23:12:20 -0800 

The addition of salt to many foods makes them taste sweeter (tomatoes,
watermelon). But, it does not seem to work for all people.

I had recently seen an article on this, and found the attached reference.

-s

http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/1994/1094AP.html

The pertinent excerpt:

  Besides the salty or saline taste that sodium chloride produces, expert
panels have reported that low levels of salt in solution also give a
sensation of sweetness. Several theories have been proposed. One speculates
that the arrangement of water molecules around a sodium ion triggers the
sweetness response in sweet receptor cells.

  Another explanation comes from Michael O'Mahoney, Ph.D. University of
California-Davis. "Taste may go beyond the basic senses of sweet, salty,
etcetera. We must extend our notion of what is meant by these terms. At a
certain concentration salt in water tastes sweet. We might perceive a
flavor, but don't have the nomenclature for it. So when we describe the
sensation, we call it sweet."

  Because salt affects the way we perceive other tastes it often can be
added to food products to balance the flavor. Some studies report that salt
can increase sweetness, and others report a decrease in sweetness. The
result seems to be both product- and level-dependent.

  "A small amount of salt added to icings keeps the sweet taste from
becoming too cloying," observes Cargill's Niman. "Salt can be added to soft
drinks in small amounts to potentiate flavors and cut sweetness, especially
in artificially sweetened products."

  A study conducted in 1984 by Marianne Gillette of McCormick & Company,
Inc., Hunt Valley MD, tested the effect of salt in a number of products. She
concluded that the addition of salt affects the overall flavor of the
products in five areas:

- Mouthfeel. Salted products were perceived as thicker or less watery.
- Sweetness. Adding salt enhanced the sweetness, in some cases to a higher
degree than the increase in saltiness.
- Metallic or chemical off-notes. Salt often decreased or masked these
flavors.
- Flavor balance. Salt rounded out the balance, blended flavors together and
increased the perception of flavor intensity.
- Saltiness. The increase in the perception of saltiness depended on the
level used and the product.