Food Intake Regulation, Hedonic Function, Palatability, Taste Sensitivity, Umami Taste Perception
Conditions
Keywords
umami, savoury, ad libitum, taste intensity, palatability, food intake, hedonic mapping, PCA, MSG
Brief summary
Sweet and salty tastes can influence food intake. Increased intensity of these tastes has been shown to decrease food intake and increase satiation compared to the less intense taste, independent of palatability. Umami taste intensity has been shown to reduce subsequent food intake, especially when paired with protein content in foods. Taste can be related with nutrient content of the diet, with sweet foods having carbohydrates, salty foods containing sodium, and umami foods containing protein. However, no study has yet investigated the impact of umami and food intake, using the approach of similar palatability and differing taste intensity levels. Given its relationship with nutrient signaling, it is important to explore the relationship between umami intensity and satiation. Therefore, this study aims to compare ad libitum food intake of two levels with similar palatability and differing umami taste intensities (high and low) to food intake from a meal with optimum taste intensity. Study population 40-50 healthy, normal weight participants from Wageningen and surroundings will be included. Previous studies have applied this method in sweet and salty tastes with 15-59 participants. Test session 1: Hedonic mapping Determine individual's most preferred level of umami taste in 6 risotto samples, using pairwise staircase comparison. Samples will contain a fixed level of salt (0.2 w/w%), and MSG concentrations ranging from 0.2-2.1 w/w%. Per individual, The optimal tasting MSG intensity will be selected based on forced choice. Test session 2, 3 and 4: ad libitum risotto lunch meals In a randomized cross-over design, participants will receive the optimum, high and low MSG risotto. The following will be measured: * Test meal consumption (primary outcome); * Meal liking after one bite; * Water consumption; * Absolute taste intensity ratings of the meal; * Relative taste intensity ratings of the meal; * Habitual dietary taste exposure (tasteFFQ). Study procedures Subjects will be provided with a standardized breakfast and to not consume anything between breakfast and lunch session. This will be validated upon arrival to the lunch meal. They will also be asked to refrain from eating for one hour after the test session. Participants will be asked to fill in the tasteFFQ, to investigate the link between dietary taste patterns and hedonic umami taste ratings. Data analysis Data will be analyzed using Rstudio. First, normality will be assessed, and data will be normalized if needed. Difference in food intake in grams between the three intensities will be compared using ANOVA. A post-hoc test will be applied if statistical outcomes are significant. Categorical variables will be compared using Chi-square test.
Interventions
OTHERHedonic mapping
During the first session, participants will be presented with 2 risotto samples simultaneously, differing in MSG content and thus umami taste intensity, by PCA. First, samples will be presented in ascending concentration, with the best rated sample (forced choice) from the previous round, and the next concentration. This will be replicated in descending order. Based on these individual outcomes, umami taste intensities of the ad libitum test meals will be calculated per participant.
During the ad libitum test meal, participants will be presented with 1200 grams of risotto with either high-, low-, or optimum umami taste intensity.
Sponsors
Wageningen University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Intervention model description
Complete block randomized cross-over design
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 55 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Self-reported healthy; * BMI between 18.5 and 25 kg/m2; * Age between 18 and 55 years old; * Able to visit the research facilities on the Wageningen campus for hedonic mapping (once) and for the risotto lunch meal (three times); * Able to provide informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
* Diagnosed with smell- or taste disorder(s); * Use of medication that could influence taste ability and/or food intake behaviour; * Food allergy or intolerance to any of the ingredients used in the ad libitum test meal; * Consumption of more than 14 (women) or 21 (men) glasses of alcohol per week; * Student or personnel of the Health Research Unit at Wageningen University
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Difference in food intake from ad libitum test meal between taste intensity conditions | Test session 2, 3 and 4 (week 2, 3 and 4) | Difference in food intake in volume (grams) from the ad libitum test meal between the three (high-, low- and ideal) umami taste intensities. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Difference in test meal liking between taste intensity conditions | Test session 2, 3 and 4 (week 2, 3 and 4) | Difference in test meal liking (VAS) between the three (high-, low- and ideal) umami taste intensities. |
| Absolute difference in umami taste intensity ratings of the ad libitum test meal between taste intensity conditions | Test session 2, 3 and 4 (week 2, 3 and 4) | Difference in absolute taste intensity ratings of the ad libitum test meal between the three (high-, low- and ideal) umami taste intensities. This will be rated after each lunch meal on a visual analogue scale (VAS). |
| Relative difference in umami taste intensity ratings of the ad libitum test meal between taste intensity conditions | Test session 4 (week 4) | Relative taste intensity ratings based on ranking. Participants will be asked to rank the three meals based on umami taste intensity after the 3rd lunch meal. Ranking will be used, with anchors "least intense" to "most intense". |
| Difference in water consumption during the ad libitum test meal between taste intensity conditions | Test session 2, 3 and 4 (week 2, 3 and 4) | Difference in water consumption in volume (grams) from the ad libitum test meal between the three (high-, low- and ideal) umami taste intensities |
| Difference in reported appetite and fullness ratings between the three conditions | Test session 2, 3 and 4 (week 2, 3 and 4) | Before and after the ad libitum test meals, appetite and fullness ratings of participants will be assessed on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Differences of these rating between umami taste intensity conditions (low-, high- and ideal umami taste intensity) will be assessed. VAS 0-100 will be used, with anchors "Not at all" to "Extremely". |
| Habitual taste exposure | Participants will fill in the TasteFFQ directly after the first visit (hedonic mapping). The TasteFFQ captures average daily food intake over the previous four weeks (so food intake prior to study enrollment). | Habitual taste exposure will be measured with a food frequency questionnaire (tasteFFQ) specifically designed to assess relative food intake based on taste cluster. Individual optimum umami intensity will be compared to habitual dietary taste exposure to the salt, umami and fat taste cluster, as well as to the intake of umami tasting food items. Participants will fill in the tasteFFQ directly after the first (hedonic mapping session) visit. The tasteFFQ inquires average daily food intake, measured with a reference period of the previous four weeks. |
Countries
Netherlands
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMonica Mars, PhD
WUR
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORCiaran Forde, PhD
Wageningen University
Outcome results
None listed