Salt and Taste Sensation in Foods

Abstract

Effects of various factors such as coexistence of basic ion, five basic taste and gelling agent, on the salt taste intensity of sodium chloride are summarized. The salt taste intensity was significantly lowered when NaCl was substituted with more than 20% KCl, or more than 10% MgCl₂. However, there was no significant difference on the preference for the 20% KCl or10% MgCl₂ substituted NaCl solutions. Addition of small amount of salt enhanced the sweet taste. When salt is tasted for the second time, after tasting concentrated sugar solution, the salt taste intensity became stronger.
Salt taste intensity/NaCl concentration in the solid food was expressed as the taste efficiency ratio. The salty taste efficiency ratio of the tested foods was generally lower than the actual amount of salt, which means that we take more salt than we feel when we eat the foods.
The relationship between the salty taste efficiency ratio and physical property of foods, and the methods to determine the salty taste efficiency are also discussed.