A matter of taste and smell

Citation

(2010), "A matter of taste and smell", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 40 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2010.01740aab.042

A matter of taste and smell

Article Type: Food facts From: Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 40, Issue 1.

New York City – do chemical cues actually regulate social behavior? How does our brain distinguish between different tastes? Why do men and women experience the sense of smell differently? Can the obesity epidemic be blamed on our love of the taste of fat?

A special new online meeting supplement to the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, “Chemoreception Scientists Gather under the Florida Sun: The 31st Annual Association for Chemoreception Sciences Meeting” explores these and other provocative questions.

This report summarizes key research presented at the 31st Annual Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS), in Sarasota, Florida, 22-26 April. Authored by AChemS President Donald A. Wilson of New York University, and colleagues, the report highlights both basic and applied research in the chemical senses, emphasizing “central and peripheral processing of gustatory, olfactory, pheromonal, and common chemical stimuli, such as irritants.” It focused on the “growing importance of understanding chemical senses in the identification, treatment, or prevention of health-related issues, such as obesity and Alzheimer's disease.”