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Unit 1 The Science of Food
new food products? As researchers develop food products, they
try to look at the human factors that affect food choices. Then they
make predictions about a product’s potential for success or failure.
Food scientists have developed methods of evaluating the many
factors affecting food choices. The subjective part of their evaluation
is called sensory evaluation. Sensory evaluation is the human analysis
of the taste, smell, sound, feel, and appearance of food. This chapter
examines infl uences on a person’s food likes and dislikes. It also
discusses the way the human senses work and how researchers
conduct sensory evaluations.
Infl uences on Food Likes and Dislikes
Bruce wants his apple soft and sweet. Jonathan wants one that is
crisp and tart, and Larry wants his in a spicy apple pie. Larry fi nds
blackberries enjoyable and Jonathan says they are bitter. Although
these men are all related and have lived in the same home for years,
they like different foods. See 3-2.
Physical Infl uences
Physiologists, who study the human body, have discovered that
people inherit slightly different body chemistries. These differences
in body chemistry affect people’s perceptions of taste. You can
demonstrate this by using taste test strips. One kind of taste test strip
used in biology classes contains the chemical thiourea. Some people
will say the strips have a distinctively unpleasant taste. Others will
not taste anything.
Some people can see all the tints and shades of every color in
the rainbow. Other people are born color-blind and are unable to tell
whether an object is red or green. In the same way, a few people can
identify every fl avoring used in spicy fried chicken. However, some
people are born “taste blind.” They are unable to distinguish between
tastes. Your body’s genetic makeup will affect what you taste and
how well you can identify fl avors.
Number of taste buds, gender,
health, and age play roles in your
ability to detect fl avors. Studies
at Yale University demonstrated
that people can be classifi ed as
“supertasters,” “medium tasters,”
and “nontasters.” Supertasters are
people whose genetic makeup,
health conditions, and experiences
allow them to identify subtle
differences in fl avor and aroma. A
compound would be perceived as
very bitter by the supertasters and
nearly tasteless by the nontasters.
Janet Ward
3-2 People have different food preferences. Which of these apple-based
foods comes to your mind fi rst when you are hungry for apples?