The Visual Analysis of Taste is Now Possible
The Visual Analysis of Taste is Now Possible
More than 400 systems in use worldwide...
More than 400 systems in use worldwide...
...mimicking Gustatory and Olfactory Senses for
...mimicking Gustatory and Olfactory Senses for
Marketing & Planning
- Taste comparison against competitors
- Research of market trends
- Regional taste preferences
- Creation of a product concept
- Termination or consolidation of products
Research & Development
- Clarification of target value
- Optimization of product design
- Clarification of the degree of attainment
- Comparison with and adjustment to reference test
- Cost reduction
Sales
- Clarification of appealing points
- Sales negotiation with buyers
- Attracting consumers
The Insent TS-5000Z analyser employs the same sensory tastes as that of the human tongue, including sourness, bitterness, astringency, umami, saltiness and sweetness, converting these tastes into numerical data, using unique measurement technology and advanced proprietary analysis tools for objective evaluation of taste.
Developed by Kiyoshi Toko, professor of information science and electrical engineering at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan. “Humans don't discriminate each chemical substance,” he says, but rather classify a discrete set of tastes. He believes there are two additional tastes beyond those widely accepted. One he calls astringency, which is a form of bitterness caused by tannins. The other he calls pungency — that's the sting from foods such as hot peppers, and in humans is experienced by receptors for heat and pain.
Professor Toko has developed an e-tongue that consists of a series of polymer membranes, each coated with a different lipid, fitted onto a plastic tube and connected to an electrode. When the tube is immersed in a sample liquid, the taste molecules in the liquid interact with the lipids and change the electrical potential of the membranes in a characteristic way. The result is a readout that corresponds to taste.
What is a Taste Analyser?
What is a Taste Analyser?
The principle operation of the Taste Analyser approximates and translates molecular information into ‘taste qualities.’
1. It is NOT for chemical analysis.
2. It highlights the most important taste qualities out of thousands of molecular interactions.
Information based on ‘Taste’ has monetary value when it is successfully conveyed to a potential buyer.
What is a sensor?
Sensors are devices that receive stimuli commonly detected by the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. They can be categorized into two types: physical sensors and chemical sensors. A physical sensor is a device that detects physical quantities, including light, pressure and sound. They have been in use for many years because they are based on relatively simple principles. In contrast, a chemical sensor is a device that detects chemical substances and represents a certain quality. For example, a pH meter is a chemical sensor that responds only to protons, and therefore it high selectivity. However, because there are thousands of taste substances, high selectivity to a single tastant is inappropriate for a taste sensor.
Response principle of taste sensors
Response principle
A taste sensor is required to exhibit global selectivity so that it responds consistently to the same taste similarly to the human tongue. After years of research with Prof. Toko's group at Kyushu University, Japan, we have successfully developed taste sensors based on an artificial lipid membrane that consistently responds to similar taste. Figure 1 shows the response principle of taste sensors.
The lipid in the taste sensor interacts with various taste materials via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, which causes a change in potential of the lipid membrane. The change is detected by a computer to provide a sensor output.
Measurement procedure
Figure 2 shows the measurement procedure, which is called the CPA measurement method, used to monitor changes in the membrane potential over time.
Process 1: First, the taste sensor is immersed in a reference solution of 30 mM KCl and 0.3 mM tartaric acid to obtain the membrane potential, Vr. The reference solution has almost no taste and is used in this system as an alternative to human saliva.
Process 2: Second, the taste sensor is immersed in the sample solution to obtain the potential, Vs. The difference in potential (Vs ? Vr), called the relative value, should approximate the initial taste upon sensory evaluation, including its sourness and saltiness.
Process 3: Third, the taste sensor is rinsed lightly with the reference solution.
Process 4: After rinsing, it is immersed in the reference solution again to obtain the potential, Vr’. The difference in potential (Vr’ ? Vr), called the CPA (change of membrane potential caused by adsorption), provides data on the adsorption of bitter and astringent substances.
Process 5: Finally, the taste sensor is rinsed well in alcohol solution to remove adsorbed substances from the membrane before the next sample is measured.
Figure 2. Measurement procedure
Taste sensors and taste information
Each taste sensor developed by our specific and innovative technologies has global selectivity to a taste quality, so sensor outputs can be converted to taste information that helps distinguish differences in both taste quality and intensity between samples.
Table 1 shows the list of taste sensors and the related taste information.
Table 1. Taste sensors and the related taste information
| Taste information | Sensor | Characteristic | Targets | |
| Initial taste (Relative value) |
Sourness | CA0 | sourness produced by citric acid and tartaric acid | beer, coffee |
| Saltiness | CT0 | saltiness evoked by dietary salts | soy sauce, soup, stock sauce | |
| Umami | AAE | umami (savoriness) by amino acids and nucleic acids | soup, stock sauce, meat | |
| Acidic bitterness | C00 | bitterness derived by bitter substances found in foodstuffs and beverages, but can also be perceived richness with its concentration being low | bean curd, stock sauce, soup | |
| Astringency | AE1 | pungent taste by astringent taste materials | wine, tea | |
| Sweetness | GL1 | sweetness produced by sugars and sugar alcohols | sweets, drink | |
| Aftertaste (CPA value) |
Aftertaste from acidic bitterness | C00 | aftertaste by bitter taste materials | beer, coffee |
| Aftertaste from astringency | AE1 | aftertaste by astringent taste materials | wine, tea | |
| Richness | AAE | richness, also called “continuity,” evoked by umami substances | soup, stock sauce, meat | |
| Aftertaste from basic bitterness | AC0 AN0 |
bitterness of medicines | basic drugs (such as quinine hydrochloride, famotidine) | |
| Aftertaste from hydrochloride salts | BT0 | bitterness of medicines | hydrochloride drugs | |
Application data
The taste sensors developed by INSENT has many applications for foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals.
* Aftertaste-A; Aftertaste from astringency, Aftertaste-B; Aftertaste from acidic bitterness, for example...
Radar chart for beer
Radar chart for soy sauce
Taste Oceania focus is on applications, sales, installation and commissioning to customer specifications and performance, with local warranty and technical support by our factory trained team.
We offer access to our global partners knowledge database for application-specific support, tailoring solutions to meet your unique needs.
We also offer sample analysis, development and optimisation, to give you the highest level of available expertise and confidence to ensure the utmost for your analysis.
We offer complete solutions and support to enable you to optimise taste sensory technologies for your research.
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