Q. Concentration factors affecting taste quality?
There is a specific range at which the tasteful substances should be used. The concentration required for identification is known as the threshold for that particular substance. Within this range, the perception of taste increases with an increase in concentration. Below and above this concentration, taste is not adequately perceived.
Threshold may be defined in terms of absolute threshold or recognition/detection threshold or terminal threshold. Absolute threshold is the minimum detectable concentration. It is not a sharply defined concentration. It is the stimulus magnitude at which the subject can identify different tastes. Recognition/Detection Threshold, on the other hand, is the concentration at which the subject can identify a specific taste. It is always higher than absolute threshold. Terminal threshold is the maximum concentration beyond which taste is not perceived or a change in sensation is not perceived, how much high the concentris.
Range starts from recognition threshold to terminal threshold. For sweet taste, this range is very wide, for salty and sour the range is narrow, and is very narrow for the bitter taste. Most acceptable concentration for different tastes is included herewith:
For sweet: 7-9%, in all desserts and beverages. A high concentration is used in
Jams and jellies, where it acts as a preservative.
For sour - 0.28%
For salty - eg., NaCl in cheese and butter - 2%
For bitter- 0.0002%