Subthreshold olfactory stimulation can enhance sweetness
Open accessAbstract
The impact of olfactory perception on sweetness was explored in a model solution using odorants at subthreshold concentrations. First, the impact of 6 odorants, previously described in the literature as congruent with sweetness, was investigated at suprathreshold level in a sucrose solution. Ethyl butyrate and maltol were selected as they had the highest and the lowest sweetness-enhancing properties, respectively. Second, the impact on sweetness of the 2 odorants was investigated at subthreshold concentrations. A system delivering a continuous liquid flow at the same sucrose level, but with varying odorant concentrations, was used. At a subthreshold level, ethyl butyrate but not maltol significantly enhanced the sweetness of the sucrose solution. This study highlights that olfactory perception induced by odorants at a subthreshold level can significantly modulate taste perception. Finally, contrary to results observed with ethyl butyrate at suprathreshold levels, at subthreshold levels, the intensity of sweetness enhancement was not proportional to ethyl butyrate concentration.
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Aromas such as caramel, vanilla, and berry flavours increase the perception of sweetness, at least in Western participants.
“Aromas such as caramel, vanilla, and berry flavours have been found to increase the perception of sweetness, at least in Western participants (e.g., [2,44,45,93-100], see References [1,101] for reviews).”
From The Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Sensory Factors in Sweetness Perception of Food and Beverages: A Review (2019) · cites this paper as [97]
The Introduction reports that strawberry odor enhanced whipped-cream sweetness and vanilla flavoring enhanced milk sweetness. It mentions caramel odor only as decreasing sour-taste intensity, not increasing sweetness. The paper also does not identify the participants in those reported studies as Western. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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- Authors
- Labbe, D., Rytz, A., Morgenegg, C., Ali, S., & Martin, N.
- Affiliations
- Nestlé (Switzerland) (CH)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Chemical Senses
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2006-11-01
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 205-214
- ISSN
- 0379-864X (ISSN-L)
- 1464-3553
- OpenAlex
- W2117496754
- Cited by
- 105
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Chemical Senses (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Sensory Analysis and Statistical Methods
- Keywords
- sweetness enhancement, ethyl butyrate, maltol, odorant concentration, sucrose solution, taste perception
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Butyrates, Female, Humans, Male, Odorants, Pyrones, Stimulation, Chemical, Sucrose, Taste, Taste Threshold
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