Flavor perception of a model cheese:: relationships with oral and physico-chemical parameters

The present study aims to investigate the relationships between perception, flavor release and oral parameters during the eating of a model cheese. A modified time-intensity (T-1) methodology, consisting in monitoring several attributes at several times over the same mastication, was used to evaluate temporal perception. A visual calibration with grey surfaces was used to adjust raw T-I data and reduce inter-individual variations due to different scale uses. Inter-individual differences observed in aroma and taste compounds were related to the inter-individual differences observed in flavor release and in oral measurements (mastication and salivation parameters). In particular, the time to reach the maximal intensity (T-max) of salty, sour and moldy attributes was positively related to the time to reach the maximal concentration (T-max) of sodium, citric acid and heptan-2-one and to oral parameters. No further relationship was found between T-I, flavor release and oral parameters. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.