Flavor Test Results in General Population

Flavor Perception in the Population of Campania Region, Italy

Dietary choices are influenced by several factors, including physiological, social or genetic factors. Among these, flavor is the most important determinant modulating the preferences versus specific foods.

Flavor perception is the result from the sensory integration of taste and odor properties of food.

Aim of the present study was to assess flavor abilities in a large population using a validated perceptive test.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Smoking; Age Problem; Weight, Body
• Intervention / Treatment: Diagnostic test: Flavor test

Detailed Description

This protocol investigates flavor perception using the flavor test, a specific test to assess the retro-nasal olfactory function.

A decrease in taste and smell abilities can result in loss of appetite, inadequate dietary intake and malnutrition. Several diseases and conditions have been associated with taste disorders and a decline in gustatory function is very common in the elderly.

The flavor test was previously developed, validated and patented by our group. It consists of a series of 20 aromatic extracts, corresponding to routine dietary use flavors for Italian people.

Each tastant, originally stored in a 30 mL amber bottle, is diluted in distilled water and stored at 4 °C, then it is kept at room temperature for 20 min before administration.

An aliquot of approximately 0,5 mL of each tastant is administered in the oral cavity using a 3mL Transfer Pipet and left for approximately 5 seconds; the mouth is then rinsed twice with distilled water before the administration of the following tastant.

At each administration, participants are invited to identify the aromatic by making a choice from 5 proposed items. A total of 21 aromatics (including one blank) are administered sequentially. The flavor score (FS) is calculated as the sum of correctly identified aromatics and ranged from 0 to 21.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 420

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

General population volunteerly selected during a project to investigate the role of lifestyle in preventing chronic diseases supported by the Campus Salute association (www.campussalute.it).

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Age ≥ 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

Allergies, drug usage

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

General population; Adult volunteers (≥18 years of age) selected as part of a project to investigate the role of lifestyle in preventing chronic diseases supported by the Campus Salute association (www.campussalute.it). All volunteers performed the flavor test as described in Maione et al, Endocrine, 2016 (doi:10.1007/s12020-015-0690-y).

Diagnostic test: Flavor test; The flavor test was developed, validated and patented (patent no. 0001426253 of the Italian Ministry for the Economic Development). It consists of a series of 20 aromatic extracts, corresponding to routine dietary use flavors for Italian people. At each administration, participants were invited to identify the aromatic by making a choice from 5 proposed items. A total of 21 aromatics (including one blank) were administered sequentially. The flavor score (FS) was calculated as the sum of correctly identified aromatics and ranged from 0 to 21.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Flavor score	A flavor score (1-21) was measured in all the studied subjects using the Flavor test	Immediately after the test administration flavor score was calculated

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Federico II University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Paolo E. Macchia, M.D., Ph.D., Dipartimento Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Maione L, Cantone E, Nettore IC, Cerbone G, De Brasi D, Maione N, Young J, Di Somma C, Sinisi AA, Iengo M, Macchia PE, Pivonello R, Colao A. Flavor perception test: evaluation in patients with Kallmann syndrome. Endocrine. 2016 May;52(2):236-43. doi: 10.1007/s12020-015-0690-y. Epub 2015 Jul 25.
• Nettore IC, Maione L, Palatucci G, Dolce P, Franchini F, Ungaro P, Belfiore A, Colao A, Macchia PE. Flavor identification inversely correlates with body mass index (BMI). Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2020 Jul 24;30(8):1299-1305. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2020.04.005. Epub 2020 Apr 20.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 30, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): October 30, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 13, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 13, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): April 23, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 24, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 23, 2018
• Last Verified: April 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Obesity; Flavor
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Body Weight
• Other Study ID Numbers: PM0001/18

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No