What is the science behind the tastes and smells of food?

[CGallin]

I have an interest into looking into the chemistry that goes into making the foods today. I'd like to know what goes into the tastes and smells. So I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as a good jumping off point for this topic. Any articles or books would be great. I have access to SciFinder so any articles on that would be great. Thanks for your help and suggestions everyone.

 

[Ygggdrasil]

Here's a review article that you may find useful:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/cr900105w

 

[CGallin]

To further define what I am looking for I would like to point out that I wondering about food chemistry as a career field. I'm starting my study of chemistry in undergraduate and was looking into this.

 

[chemisttree]

Start here. Communicate to these industry groups your interests including training level, employment outlook an expected salary.
Good luck!

 

[LudusRex]

The science behind the tastes and smells of food is a complex and fascinating topic that involves a combination of chemistry, biology, and psychology. Taste and smell are two of our five senses that work together to create our overall perception of flavor.

The taste of food is primarily determined by the presence of certain molecules on our taste buds. There are five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (savory). These tastes are detected by specific receptors on our taste buds, which send signals to our brain to interpret the taste. The combination and intensity of these tastes in a food contribute to its overall flavor profile.

Smell, on the other hand, is responsible for a large part of our perception of flavor. When we eat, volatile compounds from the food travel through our nasal passages to our olfactory receptors, which are responsible for our sense of smell. These receptors can detect thousands of different compounds, and the combination of these smells with the taste of food creates our perception of flavor.

The chemistry of food plays a crucial role in determining its taste and smell. For example, the Maillard reaction, which is a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars, is responsible for the browning and flavor development in foods like bread, coffee, and grilled meats. The presence of certain compounds, such as aldehydes and ketones, can also contribute to different tastes and smells in food.

Understanding the science behind taste and smell is important for food scientists, chefs, and even consumers. By understanding the chemical composition of foods and how they interact with our taste buds and olfactory receptors, we can create more complex and enjoyable flavors in our food.

If you are interested in learning more about the science behind taste and smell, I recommend starting with some basic articles on the topic, such as "The Science of Taste Perception" by Linda Bartoshuk and "The Chemistry of Smell" by Stuart Firestein. You can also use SciFinder to search for specific articles on this topic, such as "Chemical Basis of Taste and Smell" by Hiroaki Matsunami and "Flavor Chemistry of Meat Products: A Review" by Fidel Toldrá. Happy exploring!