Oils and Fats: Removing Undesirable Fatty Elements and Optimizing Lipid Composition

Sensory perception is crucial in the evaluation and acceptance of foods. Nutriswiss AG, a Swiss specialist in the procurement and processing of high-quality oils and fats, incorporates the most recent sensory research findings into its development processes to provide the market with lipids with the best sensory, functional, and physiological attributes.
A wide range of sensory inputs influence whether oils and fats are considered as palatable and pleasant. The most significant senses are smell and taste, along with other feelings. Taste is frequently simplified to the papillae of the tongue and the five fundamental flavors. Numerous studies, however, demonstrate that at the molecular biological level, various receptors and inhibitors on cell surfaces have a direct effect on human metabolism and influence perceptions of fats and oils. Nutriswiss considers these new results when designing goods and processes.
One example is the G protein-coupled receptor GPR120, which controls energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and inflammatory responses. The newly identified receptor binds to fatty acids of varying lengths, activating it. Fatty acids are released from triglycerides during lipolysis in the mouth, although they can also be present naturally in dietary fats and oils. They have a direct impact on critical metabolic processes as well as food sensory qualities by interacting with the receptor.
“Nutriswiss uses highly developed refining processes to influence the lipid composition and the concentration of fatty acids. In this way, short-chain fatty acids can be selectively removed so that fats taste more neutral and the fatty acid composition can be optimized. The interaction of fat and bitter receptors is another interesting area. The latter are recognized by T2R proteins and the perception of bitter and fat tastes interact. In addition to receptors, inhibitors are important in the regulation of sensory perception. They can inhibit the activity of sensory receptors and thus modulate taste and smell,” according to a recent company press release.
The number of taste buds and receptors on the tongue varies from person to person. As a result, it has a significant impact on nutritional physiology, influencing taste preferences as well as the inclination to gain weight. The receptors react variably according to the fatty acid content. Nutriswiss seeks to remove undesirable fatty elements and optimize lipid composition using cutting-edge analytics and procedures to provide first-class products in terms of sensory and nutritional physiology.
Martin Mäder, Head of Industry Sales at Nutriswiss, sees basic research in sensory perception as an important building block for future product development.
“This is an exciting area of research that we are following closely to better understand the complex world of sensory perception of oils and fats and to continuously optimize our processes and products. The findings may also contribute to the development of new flavors and fragrances in the future,” Mäder concluded.