Engineer satiating liquid food products by altering the extent of flavor release.

One of the targets in tackling the obesity problem involves enhancing feelings of fullness--satiety. This could reduce our consumption of foods. Now it appears that retronasal aroma stimulation may be linked to food reward--satiety. Retronasal aroma is the smell sensation we get when we eat food, and the flavor volatiles move through the back entrance or nasopharynx to the olfactory organ. In contrast, orthonasal aromas pass through the external nares, the nostrils of the nose, and often produce a different sensation.

The physical structure of a food product is of importance for the extent of retronasal aroma that is released during its consumption. For example, a modified beverage can be more satiating than the original beverage when, during its consumption, it leads to the release of a retronasal aroma profile that is similar to that found in a solid food. European scientists tell us that perceived satiety can be increased by altering the extent of a product's aroma release. This insight should be used in the engineering of new more satiating semi-liquid food products.

In a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized cross-over full factorial design, the researchers gave healthy subjects two different aroma profiles using a computer-controlled stimulator based on air dilution olfactometry. Profile A consisted of a profile that normal beverages produce when they are consumed, and profile B was a profile produced during consumption of soft solids, such as Dutch Gouda cheese.

These two profiles were produced with a strawberry aroma and administered in a retronasal fashion to the subjects, who consumed a sweetened milk drink. A significant difference was demonstrated in the feeling of satiation after the olfactometer delivery of the classical beverage aroma profile was compared to the olfactometer delivery of the soft solid aroma profile. Subjects felt significantly more satiated if they were aroma-stimulated with the second profile.

After stimulation with the sweet strawberry aroma, there was a significant decrease in a desire to eat sweet products. The researchers observed no significant change in the desire to eat savory products after subjects were stimulated with the sweet strawberry aroma.

Further information. Rianne M.A.J. Ruijschop, Nizo Food Research BV, P.O. Box 20, 6710 BA Ede, The Netherlands; phone: +31 318 659 511; fax: +31 318 650 400; email: info@nizo.nl; URL: www.nizo.com.