The processes in the mouth influence the amount of flavour in the gas phase and thereby determine the smell of a product. As well as this, it is also a fact that taste and smell influence each other, and tastes also mutually affect each other. An example of this is a product such as cola: although this is very acid this will hardly be tasted, because it is also very sweet.

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Factsheet The role of fats in the composition of taste

This factsheet is based on information provided by NIZO Food Research, with thanks to Peter de Kok, Principal flavour scientist at NIZO.

Interaction between smell and taste

The processes in the mouth influence the amount of flavour in the gas phase and thereby determine the smell of a product.

As well as this, it is also a fact that taste and smell influence each other, as may texture and smell, and texture and taste. For instance, it appears that we always perceive the smell of viscose products less intensely than those of a thinner liquid. This is true even if the chemical consequences as described above have been corrected for. This has everything to do with how people integrate the information they are getting from smell, taste and the feeling in the mouth while eating. This integration takes place in the brain. These aspects also differ for different fats.