Taste and flavour: their importance in food choice and acceptance.

There are many reasons why we consume food, the obvious and most important one being to obtain nutrition for a healthy and happy body. However, in a society where food supply, safety and nutrition are more than adequately provided for by most major manufacturers, other issues relating to the consumers’ food choice have grown in importance. One aspect of food consumption, and one that sadly is often over-looked, is that consumers want to enjoy their food. In fact, many foods are consumed almost entirely for the pleasure value they impart. Products such as coffee, chocolate, ice cream and of course alcohol are often consumed to enhance positive states of mind, or at least to reduce the effects of the negative ones. Ever increasing consumer demand for the ‘healthy alternative’ food has left many manufacturers in a quandary. How do you reduce the level of fat or sugar in a food without adversely affecting the sensory properties, in particular the taste and flavour, and spoiling the consumers’ enjoyment of the food? As consumers, we may not expect the ‘healthy’ alternative to taste the same as the standard recipe, and few (if we are honest) may expect it to taste better.