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The influence of taste liking on the consumption of nutrient rich and nutrient poor foods
The consumption of palatable, energy-dense foods, driven by their enhanced taste, is known to impact overall health negatively. A thorough understanding of the links between taste and food choices can help shed light on the mechanisms behind food preferences. In this review by Liem and Russell (2019), the authors sought to investigate three main queries, firstly: whether the taste profiles of nutrient-rich food differ from those of nutrient-poor foods, secondly, whether a predisposition exists to increase the propensity of nutrient-rich food preference, and finally, whether these preferences and predispositions are influenced by negative health outcomes or chronic intake of nutrient-rich foods. Analysis of the results revealed that individuals varied in their taste preferences, despite an overall predilection for sweet tastes and antipathy to bitter tastes, which may partially explain the short-term preferences for food. Current observations noted that nutrient-rich foods had several taste profiles, while nutrient-poor foods were more likely to have fatty, sweet, and salty taste profiles. Finally, the authors conclude that available evidence has failed to investigate the links between negative health outcomes related to food consumption (such as obesity) and the long-term choices of food, raising the need to conduct further studies on smell, taste, texture and the full spectrum of sensations evoked by food and how they impact the individual experience in consuming nutrient-rich or nutrient-poor foods, influencing factors such as food choices, dietary preferences, and health motivations. [NPID: Taste, consumer choices, sensory profile, food, nutrition]
Year: 2019
