We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Jing Feng to TasteTech for a week-long placement, to work on the next phase of her PhD study at the University of Nottingham. Jing is exploring the potential of using encapsulated ingredients in chewing gum to restore a lost sense of taste or smell. This article looks into the background of the project, TasteTech’s involvement, and the ultimate goals of this innovative project. You can read more bout this project in this article.
Recently, Covid-19 has brought a lot of attention to the issue of flavour loss, with some people suffering short-term sensory issues and others experiencing an ongoing loss of taste and smell. These senses can also be lost with age, or due to head trauma or nerve damage.
The Research Team
After completing her Master’s Degree in Food Science and Sensory Studies, Jing worked as a research assistant in food science. Two years later, she moved to the UK to start her PhD at the University of Nottingham, alongside her supervisor, Dr Nicole Yang. Dr Yang is an accomplished Flavour Scientist who is due to speak at this year’s Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium, a leading event in sensory and consumer science.
The Project
Traditionally, essential oils are used to restore a lost sense of smell through olfactory training. However, this does very little to stimulate the sense of taste. Dr Yang proposed chewing gum as an effective alternative, as it stays in the mouth for an extended time while triggering the multimodal sensations of smell, taste and chemesthesis. Through this project, Jing and the research team hope to stimulate multiple senses through trigeminal stimuli, using ingredients such as capsicum for a heating effect. TasteTech has been able to support with the selection of suitable flavours, developing the formulation and, more recently, creating the gum samples – which was the purpose of Jing’s recent visit to our site.
Jing at TasteTech
During her time at TasteTech, Jing worked alongside our NPD Innovation Lead Technologist Reece Reynolds. She gained hands-on experience in gum formulation and production, which she found incredibly valuable. Jing also had access to our state-of-the-art facilities, including our bespoke spray-dryer, of which she said “I’ve never seen a spray dryer that big. I was shocked!”
What’s Next?
Ultimately, the project aims to create an alternative training program which utilises the chewing gum to aid in restoring taste and smell. The next phase involves selecting potential flavours that enhance flavour perception, including trigeminal stimuli such as hot and cool sensations. Jing plans to evaluate different flavour combinations, analyse them using sensory and machine-based methods, and eventually conduct a test program to assess the effectiveness of the chewing gum as a restorative treatment.
Get Involved
If you’ve been affected by a loss of taste or smell, no matter the cause, Jing is currently recruiting volunteers for the test program. You can get in touch with the team using the email address below.
sb-chewinggum-study@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk
We’re really proud to have been able to support Jing’s work. Covid-19 has exposed a great number of people to the effects of altered flavour perception, such as anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste). We hope that this project can relieve some of the problems caused by these conditions.
