Impact of fat level on piperine’s cross-modal interaction on saltiness perception

Novel strategies are needed to reduce the salt content of different food products. Chemical irritants, such as piperine, have been proposed to have a cross-modal interaction that can enhance saltiness perception. The objective was to add piperine to a soup below the detection threshold (0.50 ppm) and identify its’ impact on sensory perception. The study also identified how increasing the fat content in the soup impacted the sensory properties of the soup. For this experiment, cream of potato soup was made without piperine (control), along with soups with piperine (below detection threshold) and differing amounts of fat (four different samples, 0 %C, 50 %C, 75 %C and 100 %C). Participants (n = 89) evaluated the soup using intensity scales (15 cm) and nine-point hedonic scales. The piperine led to an increased saltiness in the soup, as well as bitterness, spiciness, and a decreased liking. The fat addition increased the liking of the soup and reduced the bitterness and spiciness. It also increased sweetness and aftertaste intensity. However, the fat addition did not impact the saltiness perception. The participants were categorized based on their preference level for spice. Those that had a greater spice preference rated the samples more positively and noticed the spiciness in the samples less than those that had a lesser spice preference. Further studies are needed to continue assessing piperine’s cross-modal interaction in different food matrices.