-->Food companies test
flavorings that can mimic sugar, salt or MSG. Several big food
and beverage companies are looking at a new ingredient in the
battle for health-conscious consumers: a chemical that tricks
the taste buds into sensing sugar or salt even when it is not
there. Kraft Foods, Nestle, Coca-Cola and Campbell Soup are
all working with a biotechnology company called Senomyx,
which has developed several chemicals, most of which do not
have any flavor of their own but instead work by activating or
blocking receptors in the mouth that are responsible for taste.
They can enhance or replicate the taste of sugar, salt and
monosodium glutamate, or MSG, in foods. Unlike artificial
sweeteners, Senomyx’s chemical compounds will not be listed
separately on ingredient labels. Instead, they will be lumped
into a broad category -"artificial flavors" - already found on
most packaged food labels."We’re helping companies clean
up their labels," said Senomyx’s chief executive, Kent Snyder.
|