The Change Mariner

Researchers Seek to Trick Bitter Taste Buds

New York Times:

The food industry, trying to offer healthier versions of popular foods without affecting the taste, is looking for new ways to trick the tongue. If it succeeds, grapefruit juice could be sweet without added sugar, and potato chips flavorful with half the salt.

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"We've had calls from just about every food and beverage company," said Shawn M. Marcell, the chief executive of Linguagen [maker of the bitter blocker], though he declined to name the companies. "They're very concerned, as a group, about health and nutrition now because of all the reports about epidemic obesity, epidemic diabetes, epidemic cardiovascular disease, epidemic hypertension. They don't want to be tainted with that.