Investigating the Influence of Age and Saliva Flow on the Perception of Protein Fortified Foods and Beverages

Investigating the Influence of Age and Saliva Flow on the Perception of Protein Fortified Foods and Beverages

Investigating the Influence of Age and Saliva Flow on the Perception of Protein Fortified Foods and Beverages

Brief Summary: This study aims to investigate whether protein fortification of foods and beverages causes mouthdrying and mucoadhesion and whether this is influenced by age and saliva flow.

To investigate whether whey protein beverages cause mouthdrying in older adults and if perception and acceptance are influenced by repeated consumption, age and individual differences in saliva flow. To investigate whether protein fortification of cupcakes causes mouthdrying and if perception and acceptance are influenced by repeated consumption, age and individual differences in saliva flow in a home environment. To investigate whether mucoadhesion is present within different food models, if sensitivity to mucoadhesion increases with age and to determine if a reduced salivary flow results in strengthened mucoadhesion.

This study involves both a crossover design where each participant tastes both the control product (not fortified) and the protein fortified product with an appropriate break between the two sessions. It is also both a within and between groups design as the responses from the older participants will be compared to the younger participants. The study will be conducted single blind as it not feasible to blind the researcher. Each participant will attend 2 study visits and all foods will be presented with random blinding codes.

Cupcakes will be used, with the amount of protein varied to study the effect on perception of the products (using sensory methods rating drying and discrimination tests 'which is the stronger in drying'). Measuring mucoadhesion via protein content remaining in saliva samples following consumption of cupcakes.

To study the perception of whey protein beverages using repeated consumption sensory methods (e.g. rating mouthdrying over repeated sips of the drink).

Ex-vivo analysis using cupcakes (whey permeate and whey protein) (expectorated saliva collection to analyse protein for the extent of mucoadhesion)

Perceived mouth drying from protein fortified lemon cupcake and whey permeate lemon cupcake using data from repeated consumption sensory methods (rating drying on line scales)

Perceived mouth drying from whey protein beverage using data from repeated consumption sensory methods (rating drying on line scales)

Inclusion Criteria: Age (18-30 years or over 65 years) Healthy Exclusion Criteria: Cognitively impaired Allergies, intolerance and special dietary requirements (for example coeliac disease, lactose / gluten intolerance) Suffer from diabetes Oral surgery Stroke Smoker Cancer

No personal identification data will be shared. The study is not under an obligation to share data, however, it is possible that some of the individual (unliked / non identifiable) data will be useful in a meta analysis and, hence sharing individual participant data (IPD) will be considered.

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