Lesaffre explores culturally anchored differences in flavor perceptions through sensory analysis

08 Jan 2021 --- New sensory analysis from Lesaffre reveals significant variances in people’s knowledge, perception, appreciation and associations of the five tastes: bitter, salty, sweet, sour and umami.

The research has allowed the French yeast specialist to develop ingredients specifically adapted to different geographical markets. This has led to the creation of new culturally anchored culinary applications, including the Springer2020 yeast that can be added to fish sauce for the Asian market. 

Through its analysis, the company outlines global consumers’ distinctive cultural taste preferences – such as lemon versus kefir in the acid category, for instance –  within each flavor category.

The study was carried out as a survey with a panel of 790 consumers in France, Turkey, China, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil and Russia.

While France and Brazil associate the sweetness with chocolate, fruits are associated with the category in Mexico, while baklava was pegged by Turkish consumers, and honey by Russians. Cultural variances in flavor perceptions
Flavors are the main structures of a food, conveying first impressions. But how are these flavors perceived and which foods are they associated with?

Sweetness – closely followed by saltiness – is pegged by Lesaffre as the most appreciated among all flavor categories. 

However, the food most associated with the sweet taste is not the same everywhere. While France and Brazil associate the sweetness with chocolate, fruits are associated with the category in Mexico, while baklava was pegged by Turkish consumers, and honey by Russians.

Low variances in receptiveness of acidity
Acidity is globally massively represented by lemon, with the exception of Vietnam and Russia, where it is mostly associated with Canh Chua (a traditional soup) and kefir respectively. 

“If we take the example of acidity, consumption habits and preferences differ from one country to another,” explains Marine Baudin, an expert in sensory analysis from the Baking Center at Lesaffre. 

“This is why it is necessary to adapt the acidity in our products to meet the expectations of all our customers, wherever they are,” she continues.

“Our perception of acidity in sourdough bread, for example, is linked to the detection of protons present in many acids, such as lactic or acetic acids, which are produced by bacteria during fermentation.”

Bitter base notes and umami
Bitterness is another flavor ranked low in appreciation by the countries surveyed. However, in contrast to acidity, each country associates it with a very different food. For instance, chicory is the association for bitter in France, while chocolate was highlighted by Mexico.

Another flavor with which the population is unfamiliar is umami. This distinctive taste, brought by certain specific compounds, offers many advantages in food formulation, particularly in the fermented food space. Umami also allows significant reductions in salt content without compromising the taste of the finished product. 

Capitalizing on a regional cultural base
Lesaffre draws upon the findings of this sensory analysis at laboratories around the world – France, Argentina, China, Singapore and Turkey – which are tasked with improving the organoleptic quality of Lesaffre products. 

Using their keen sense of smell, sight, taste, touch and hearing, more than 200 testers analyze each Lesaffre product and study the subtle nuances of the finished products. 

Using their keen sense of smell, sight, taste, touch and hearing, more than 200 testers analyze each Lesaffre product and study the subtle nuances of the finished products. The company uses this research to tailor its products to the specific local requirements of each customer.

In the case of umami, Lesaffre’s business unit Biospringer has developed a range of yeast extracts with a high umami content called Springer2000. With the aromatic profiles resulting from sensory analysis, Biospringer was able to characterize the umami flavor in yeast extracts.

Biospringer panelists carried out tests in sensory booths equipped with red light. This involved the use of the Time-Intensity method, which evaluates how long this umami is perceived.

This panel of 25 people rated the intensity of the flavor perceived throughout the tasting on a scale of zero to 10. This parameter can significantly influence consumer preferences, the company notes. 

Efficacies of going local
It explains that for certain very specific tastes, local experts provide a more refined perception since they have been used to consuming them regularly since childhood, unlike an expert tester trained in this taste or flavor only within the framework of Lesaffre tests. 

“Expert panelists are highly trained testers who can measure any type of taste on a given product. The measurement is objective, a bit like machines could do,” explains Camille Dupuy, head of sensory analysis at Lesaffre. 

“Consumer tests, on the other hand, are a subjective measure of product appreciation: it is therefore absolutely necessary to question consumers representative of the country and the target market. At Lesaffre, we only carry out descriptive panels of experts.”

Flavor highlights of the new year
Industry has carried over existing flavor trends into the new year, such as the push to eliminate artificial flavors from formulations. Emerging natural flavors include natural garlic flavor, natural ginger ale flavor and natural salted caramel flavor, according to Innova Market Insights.

In relation to Lesaffre’s research on cultural taste variances, ethnicity was found to possibly play a role in how sensitive a person is to bitter tastes, according to studies from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Tests revealed that participants in a Chinese cohort were more sensitive to bitter tastes than a Danish group, having more tongue papillae.

Meanwhile, in light of COVID-19, ADM forecasts a trend leaning toward citrus flavors and new exotic tastes with warm undertones for the year ahead. Refreshing citrus flavors can signal feelings of happiness, mental clarity and increased energy, while offering naturally occurring vitamin C for immune function support.

By Benjamin Ferrer