Taste is often cited as the factor of greatest significance in food choice, and has been described as the body's 'nutritional gatekeeper'. Variation in taste receptor genes can give rise to differential perception of sweet, umami and bitter tastes, whereas less is known about the genetics of sour and salty taste. Over twenty-five bitter taste receptor genes exist, of which TAS2R38 is one of the most studied. This gene is broadly tuned to the perception of the bitter-tasting thiourea compounds, which are found in brassica vegetables and other foods with purported health benefits, such as green tea and soya. Variations in this gene contribute to three thiourea taster groups of people: supertasters, medium tasters and nontasters. Differences in taster status have been linked to body weight, alcoholism, preferences for sugar and fat levels in food and fruit and vegetable preferences. However, genetic predispositions to food preferences may be outweighed by environmental influences, and few studies have examined both. The Tastebuddies study aimed at taking a holistic approach, examining both genetic and environmental factors in children and adults. Taster status, age and gender were the most significant influences in food preferences, whereas genotype was less important. Taster perception was associated with BMI in women; nontasters had a higher mean BMI than medium tasters or supertasters. Nutrient intakes were influenced by both phenotype and genotype for the whole group, and in women, the AVI variation of the TAS2R38 gene was associated with a nutrient intake pattern indicative of healthy eating.

Background/Aims: Variations in bitter receptor gene TAS2R38 affect the perception of bitter-tasting compound 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). The perception of PROP has been associated, in some reports, with the perception of fat and sweet tastes, and various food preferences and intakes. The aim was to investigate nutrient intakes and food patterns in a group of Irish children, using K-means cluster analysis, and compare these with TAS2R38 genotype and PROP taster status. Methods: Dietary intake was measured via a 3-day diet history in 483 children aged 7-13 years. Children were genotyped for TAS2R38 variation, and PROP taster status was assessed. Anthropometric and socioeconomic data were also obtained. Results: No differences were observed in macronutrient, micronutrient, or food group consumption between the TAS2R38 genotype and PROP taster groups. K-means cluster analysis identified two distinct dietary patterns, termed ‘more healthful' and ‘less healthful' clusters. The clusters did not differ in frequencies of TAS2R38 genotype nor PROP taster status groups, suggesting that dietary patterns are not influenced by bitter taste perception. Conclusion: Bitterness perception, as measured by either TAS2R38 genotype or PROP taster status, does not appear to exert a significant effect on patterns of dietary intakes.

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PurposeThe aim of this paper is to examine consumers' perceptions and expectations towards healthy snacks, with particular emphasis on the cereal snack market, and to explore new areas of opportunities for healthy snacks by identifying consumer needs and wants.Design/methodology/approachSix focus group discussions were conducted to generate attitudinal data across three different adult consumer groups.FindingsResults revealed that consumers expected a healthy snack to contain low levels of calories, fat, salt and sugar, and to contain high levels of whole‐grain, oats, bran, nuts, seeds, pulses and fruit, e.g. blueberries, cranberries, gogi berries. Additionally, healthy snacks were required to be free from any artificial colours, sweeteners and flavours. Major factors encouraging healthy snack consumption included reduced risk of weight gain, diabetes, heart burn and bloating. Conversely, perceived taste, portion size, the lack of available convenient nutritional snacks, accessibility and confusion over the credibility of the “healthy product” tag were the main factors preventing healthy consumption in the adult population examined. Consumers expressed a desire for a wider choice of filling snacks with specific health benefits for a variety of usage occasions, particularly those with associated health claims such as “high fibre”, “omega 3 for mental health” and “reduces cholesterol”.Research limitations/implicationsThe study sample size was not extensive and was limited to a small geographical spread of Dublin and Meath on the East coast of Ireland. A more representative sample of the entire Irish population could be the basis for further research.Practical implicationsThese findings increase the understanding of current expectations of the Irish adult consumer regarding healthy snack foods. They also highlight the potential new product development opportunities for snack food manufacturers to explore.Originality/valueThe present paper focuses specifically on healthy snacks and contributes to a limited amount of existing literature by providing consumer research for the development of new healthy snack foods.

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