It has been well publicised that the tongue can sense sweet, salt, sour and bitter, but while some of us are still trying to get our heads around the tongue's fifth taste, umami, French scientists have gone in search of a possible sixth sense.
The research was carried out at the University of Bourgogne in Dijon, where scientists have found a protein in mice that seems to sense fat. Animals eat fatty foods as an energy source in order to survive, which has spurred the notion that it is possible for them to sense lipids.
It is thought that the human tongue is also capable of such sensations and the scientists believe that a receptor known as CD36 is responsible for identifying the fatty taste.
As scientists at the university attempt to decipher the intricate workings of the human body, French firm Alpha Multi Organoleptic Systems is busy replicating our basic sensory organs. A world first, the Astree electronic tongue is a liquid taste analyser which is equally as sensitive, if not more so, than the human tongue, claims the company.
Food manufacturers can use the mechanism for a variety of applications. It can analyse flavour ageing in beverages, such as fruit juice or flavoured milks and can also quantify the bitterness of drinks.
Alpha says that this technology provides objective and reliable results at a faster speed than traditional methods such as gas chromatography, and can be correlated to a sensory panel evaluation.
The company has also developed Fox and Gemini electronic noses which can assess the quality and origin of raw materials in order to monitor the consistency of a supplier's products. The nose can also aid manufacturers in achieving a quality standard and can detect off-odours such as gelatins for bakery and sweets.