Scientists plan extra sensory deception on the human tongue
Scientists in the USA claim to have discovered a molecule that stops bitter tastes being absorbed by the tongue.
The so-called "bitter blocker", adenosine monophosphate or AMP, occurs naturally in trace amounts in, among other places, human breast milk, but is now being manufactured in laboratories by American biotechnology firm Linguagen.
The food industry is waiting to see whether the chemical can be used to make popular foods healthier - making, for instance, grapefruit more sweet without adding sugar. Commercial licences should also soon be granted for molecules that can add a salty taste to low-sodium foods and block unpleasant odours.
Commenting on the discovery, molecular gastronomy trailblazer Heston Blumenthal, chef-proprietor of the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, said: "Part of it worries me - there have to be health considerations - but part of it really excites me."
He added that another American firm, Senomyx, currently signed to a deal with Coca-Cola, was involved in research into human smell receptors in the nose.
Each person has several hundred receptors, which, when stimulated in different combinations, trigger the recognition of different smells in the brain. The firm is trying to crack the chemical codes that stimulate the receptors, so that pure "smells" can be manufactured.
Blumenthal said: "We are happy to develop technology in other areas, so why not food? Can you imagine if you had 300 bottles in the cupboard with different smell permutations? It could be great fun from the chef's point of view."
