title: Maximising umami taste in meat using natural ingredients: effects on chemistry, sensory perception and hedonic liking in young and old consumers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Umami taste in foods is elicited predominantly by the presence of glutamic acid and 5'-ribonucleotides, which act synergistically. This study aimed to use natural ingredients to maximise umami taste of a meat formulation and determine effects on liking of older consumers. Cooked meat products with added natural ingredients (yeast extract, mycoscent, shiitake extract, tomato puree, soy sauce and soybean paste) or monosodium glutamate (MSG) were prepared and compared with a control sample analytically (umami compounds), sensorially (sensory profile) and hedonically (liking by younger and older volunteers). Taste detection thresholds of sodium chloride and MSG of volunteers were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four of the seven cooked meat products developed had a significantly higher content of umami-contributing compounds compared with the control. All products, except those containing MSG or tomato puree, were scored (by trained sensory panel) perceptually significantly higher in umami and/or salty taste compared with the control. Consumer tests showed a correlation of liking by the older cohort with perceived saltiness (ρ = 0.76).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The addition of natural umami-containing ingredients during the cooking of meat can provide enhanced umami and salty taste characteristics. This can lead to increased liking by some consumers, particularly those with raised taste detection thresholds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AP, UK.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dermiki
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mounayar
authors.forename: Chutipapha
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suwankanit
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Orla B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Donald S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Mottram
authors.forename: Margot A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gosney
authors.forename: Heston
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Methven
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003296:Cooking; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D005421:Flavoring Agents; D005518:Food Preferences; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000032:analysis; D012677:Sensation; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D005421:Flavoring Agents; D012265:Ribonucleotides; D018698:Glutamic Acid
keywords: aging; equivalent umami concentration; liking; taste enhancement; taste thresholds; umami