Individual differences in sensitivity to bitterness focusing on oat and pea preparations

Abstract

Growing interest in plant-based alternative products offers hope for a more sustainable future. Oat and pea are among the most potential raw materials, due to their nutritional value and their widespread growth. However, one of the key issues with the development of such products is their bitter off-taste due to ingredients like saponins, amino acids, and fatty acids. The perception of bitterness varies between compounds and depends on physiological differences among individuals, which also complicates the development of plant-based alternatives. This study aimed to investigate individual differences in bitterness sensitivity, with a particular focus on pea and oat products. Sensory evaluations (n = 12) and consumer tests (n = 100) showed that people were generally more sensitive to the bitterness of peas than oats. No statistically significant difference was observed in bitterness perception based on diet habits. Furthermore, findings demonstrated that no general standard for assessing a variety of product groups can be recommended for sensory analysis. Well-established bitter standards such as PROP, quinine, and caffeine, were not correlating with other bitter stimuli. Thus, the choice of the bitter standards to be used in sensory analysis depends on the purpose of the study and the samples included.

Keywords

• Bitterness
• Sensitivity
• Perception
• Plant-based
• Sensory analysis
• Consumers