Sensory and Hedonic Effects of FAAA-conjugates Added to Food Products

NCT03787394 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: NL67908.081.18
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Rationale: According to preliminary observations provided by the research and development department (R\&D) of Givaudan, addition of specific fatty acid-amino acid (FAAA)-conjugates to a wide range of food products resulted in an enhancement of several sensory and hedonic effects. Such effects could be attributed to the so-called kokumi sensation, a taste concept that has been described as a "taste enhancer" that magnifies and lengthens all the other five basic tastes. The exact mechanisms of the kokumi sensation are as of yet unclear. Perception of the kokumi sensation depends on the context of other taste compounds and integration into food matrices. A systematic investigation is necessary to objectively evaluate whether the addition of specific FAAA-conjugates results in the enhancement of sensory and hedonic effects. Furthermore, we want to assess the dependency of these effects on the food matrix. To do so, a combination of discrimination, descriptive and hedonic testing will be carried out. Objectives: The primary objectives are: to determine if there is a perceivable difference between plain and FAAA-enriched versions of selected food products and describe sensory and/or hedonic differences between them; to assess the dependency of FAAA-conjugates on the food matrix. Study design: A two-step, randomised controlled intervention study will be carried out. Study population: 40 healthy, adult (18-55 years) males and females (BMI 18 - 27 kg/m2) from Wageningen and surroundings will be included. Intervention (if applicable): FAAA-conjugates: in step one, FAAA-conjugates will be integrated into food products; in step two, FAAA-conjugates will both be administered separately (using a tasteless mouthwash) and integrated into food products. Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary outcome parameters are: proportion of correct answers (discrimination testing); sensory evaluation score means (descriptive testing); and hedonic evaluation score means (hedonic testing). Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: The current study is non-therapeutic to subjects. Risks associated with participation are negligible and compared to other studies, the burden can be considered low. The FAAA-conjugates used in the intervention are declared "generally recognised as safe" (GRAS) by the Flavour Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) and pose no known adverse health effects.

Conditions

Sensory Testing

Keywords

taste enhancers

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• discrimination test

  percentage correctly identified FAAA-enriched samples

  90 minutes

• descriptive tests

  ratings sensory attributes on VAS-scales

  45 minutes

• hedonic test

  ratings product liking on VAS-scales

  45 minutes

Study Arms (2)

FAAA-enriched

EXPERIMENTAL

food products enriched with FAAA-conjugates

Other: adding taste enhancer

Plain

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Food products without FAAA-conjugates

Other: adding taste enhancer

Interventions

adding taste enhancer OTHER

Comparing sensory profiles of food products either enriched with FAAA-conjugates or plain

FAAA-enriched; Plain

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 55 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Age: 18-55 years
• BMI: 18.0 - 27.0 kg/m2
• Healthy (as judged by subject)
• Consumer of products used in the study
• Proficient in spoken and written English.

You may not qualify if:

• Weight loss or weight gain of 5 kg or more during the last 2 months
• Regular smoker (\> 1 cigarette per day);
• Restrained eater, assessed by the DEBQ (score of \>2.37 for men and \>3.24 for women (van Strien, Frijters, Bergers, \& Defares, 1986))
• Pregnant or lactating woman
• Anosmia or ageusia (self-reported)
• Food allergies or intolerances relevant for the food products used in the experiment
• Student/employee of the WUR Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour department

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Wageningen University: lead

Study Officials

• Gerry Jager, PhD

  Wageningen University, Division of Human Nutrition

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Gerry Jager, PhD

CONTACT

+31317485850; gerry.jager@wur.nl

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: A two-step, randomised controlled intervention study

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 24, 2018
• First Posted: December 26, 2018
• Study Start: January 9, 2019
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2019
• Study Completion: April 30, 2019
• Last Updated: December 26, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share