Retronasal sensation of nonvolatile sweeteners and its impacts on the flavor perception of beverages

In our previous study, sucrose was shown to be able to transfer in the form of aerosol particles from oral cavity to nasal cavity and deposit onto the olfactory cleft and then be “smelled” during oral consumption. To further elucidate the important roles of aerosol particles in olfactory sensation of sweetness, further sensory tests were designed in this study for sucrose, sucralose , rebaudioside A, and sucrose + quinine solutions. In first sensory test, subjects could discriminate all samples (water, sucralose, rebaudioside A, and sucrose + quinine) from sucrose (p < 0.05) via the ortho -nasal sensation of their aerosol particles, whereas water and sucralose were favored over sucrose (p < 0.05). In second sensory test, drinking experiences of sucrose and sucralose were more similar when their noses were clipped. In third sensory test, nose-clip could reduce sucrose's sweet intensity, sucrose + quinine’s bitter intensity, and rebaudioside A’s metallic intensity (p < 0.05). Aerosol particles generated in-situ and in-vitro were visualized by a high-speed camera and numbers were counted by an optical particle counter. These observations extend our understating of the role of retro -nasal sensation in the flavor perception of food and beverages, and provide food industry alternative strategies of sugar-reduction in the design of healthy food and beverages.