PERCEIVED SALTINESS OF TABLE SPREADS OF VARYING FAT COMPOSITIONS

Four types of spread with 80% fat, but varying in the origin of the fat (milk/vegetable) and in the proportion of oil versus solid fat (0–90% vegetable oil), were manufactured at NaCl concentrations of 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%. Their saltiness and degree of melting in the mouth were rated using the time-intensity (TI) procedure. The perceived maximum saltiness of each NaCl concentration varied widely, samples with 80% milk fat + 20% vegetable oil being the most salty and those with 15% vegetable fat + 85% vegetable oil the least salty. The differences in saltiness were not directly related to the degree of melting in the mouth. The results demonstrate that extrapolating saltiness on the basis of NaCl contents over brands of products would be risky, since saltiness and NaCl contents are not necessarily correlated even in apparently similar products.