Addition of retronasal milk fat odour during milk consumption increased liking without affecting intake

Reduction of food fat content often comes at the cost of sensory appeal. Given that odours can enhance various fat-related sensory characteristics, their use as fat substitutes seems promising. This cross-over study investigated whether sensory characteristics of a low-fat product (dairy milk) can be enhanced by the addition of a fat-related aroma (cream) and whether this influences subsequent eating behaviour within an ecologically valid scenario. Fifty-six consumers evaluated 0% fat milk without aroma (skim), 0% fat milk infused with cream aroma (skim+) and 3.5% fat milk without aroma (full) on perceived flavour intensity, creamy mouthfeel, aftertaste and liking (ranking rating scale - 100-unit VAS). In three separate subsequent sessions, 54 of the participants consumed the samples above as fixed preloads (300 ml) after which they were provided an ad-libitum breakfast consisting of granola and yogurt. Appetite ratings (hunger, fullness, desire to eat, prospective consumption) were collected pre- and post-preload and post-breakfast. While skim + samples were more liked compared to skim ones, there was no difference in flavour intensity, creamy mouthfeel, or aftertaste. Full fat samples were rated higher than both skim and skim + ones on all attributes. Despite the added aroma (skim+) enhancing liking, it did not influence subsequent intake amounts or eating rate. In fact, there were no differences in intake or appetite between any of the preloads. This demonstrates that odours can be used to enhance liking of reduced-fat food products, yet the broader implication of such an approach on food intake behaviour remains to elucidated.