SENSORY PREFERENCES FOR FATS - RELATIONSHIPS WITH DIET AND BODY-COMPOSITION

Little is known about the factors influencing individual selection and consumption of fats or the role of sensory preferences in this process. Thirty human subjects kept diet records for 10 d and then underwent preference testing with fat-containing stimuli: 10 different foods, each prepared with 2-5 levels of fat. The mean prefered level of fat across all foods was used as an indicator of overall fat preference. Analyses indicate 1) wide individual variation in the most preferred fat level for each stimulus, with no consistent correlation among the various stimuli; 2) no consistent relationships sensory and dietary measures; and 3) a positive correlation between overall fat perference and percent body fat (r = 0.46, P < 0.01). Although a battery of test stimuli may be used to identify individual and group sensory preferences for fats, relationships between sensory and dietary measures remain unclear.