Glutamate-Sodium Discrimination Status in Adults Is Associated with Salt Recognition Threshold and Habitual Intake of Discretionary Food and Meat: A Cross-Sectional Study

Isabella Hartley, Andrew Costanzo, Djin Gie Liem and Russell Keast ()
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Isabella Hartley: CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria 3125, Australia
Andrew Costanzo: CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria 3125, Australia
Djin Gie Liem: CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria 3125, Australia
Russell Keast: CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria 3125, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 17, 1-13

Abstract: Umami non-discriminators (NDs) are a sub-group of the population with a reduced ability to discriminate between monosodium glutamate (MSG) and sodium chloride (NaCl) compared to umami discriminators (UDs). No research has investigated umami and salty taste perception associations across detection threshold (DT), recognition threshold (RT), and suprathreshold intensity perception (ST) or the habitual dietary intake of ND. Adults ( n = 61, mean age of 30 ± 8 years, n = 40 females) completed taste assessments measuring their DT, RT, and ST for salty, umami (MSG and monopotassium glutamate (MPG)), and sweet tastes. To determine the umami discrimination status, participants completed 24 triangle tests containing 29 mM NaCl and 29 mM MSG, and those with ≥13 correct identifications were considered UDs. Habitual dietary intake was recorded via a food frequency questionnaire. NDs made up 14.8% ( n = 9) of the study population, and UDs made up 85.2% ( n = 52). NDs were less sensitive to salt at RT (mean step difference: −1.58, p = 0.03), and they consumed more servings of meat and poultry daily (1.3 vs. 0.6 serves, p = 0.006); fewer servings of discretionary food (1.6 vs. 2.4, p = 0.001); and, of these, fewer salty discretionary foods (0.9 vs. 1.3, p = 0.003) than NDs. Identifying these NDs may provide insight into a population at risk of the overconsumption of discretionary foods and reduced intake of protein-rich meat foods.

Keywords: taste; diet; umami; psychophysics; monosodium glutamate; sodium; salt (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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