Research Progress of Methods for Measuring Human Taste Sensitivity

Abstract

Taste perception is an important factor in determining people's food intake. Understanding the relationship between taste sensitivity and food consumption behavior is one of the most innovative strategies for solving health problems caused by diet, and measuring the taste sensitivity of human subjects is the key to establish this relationship. In this paper, from the aspects of working principle, operation process and application of taste sensitivity determination, the methods of measuring human taste sensitivity at home and abroad are summarized, including psychophysical method, biopotential method, bacterial papilla counting method and genotyping method. Psychophysical measurement method is simple to operate and easy to implement, but subjective and error are large; biopotential measurement method reduces subjective errors, but the subjects need to remain relatively static during the measurement process, otherwise it will affect the stability of the electrode; fungal papilla counting method and genotyping method need to be carried out in conjunction with other methods. In addition, the genotyping method requires high technical content and cost. Through the analysis and evaluation of the above methods, it provides a theoretical basis and guidance for selecting different taste sensitivity determination methods.

Keywords

• taste sensitivity
• psychophysical method
• biopotential method
• fungal papilla counting method
• genotyping method