CAPSAICIN HEAT INTENSITY - CONCENTRATION, CARRIER, FAT LEVEL, AND SERVING TEMPERATURE EFFECTS

In a study of pungency in food systems, three carriers (water, cheese sauce, starch paste) with varying fat levels (none, low, medium, high) , synthetic capsaicin concentrations (0.0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.3 ppm), and sew ing temperatures (25 and 38C) were formulated. Panelists evaluated sen sory heat intensity over a 3-min interval. Time-intensity parameters ( maximum intensity-MAX, time to maximum intensity-TMAX, and rate of rel ease-RATE) were evaluated. Overall, intensity scores increased as caps aicin concentration increased. The increase was related to carrier and fat level. Water samples (0.4, 0.8, and 1.3 ppm) were perceived as mo re intense than cheese or starch samples at the same capsaicin level G enerally, increasing the fat level resulted in lower intensity scores. Warming samples increased RATE, the only parameter affected by temper ature. The training method was effective when water was the carrier. H owever, physical or chemical interactions that occur in simple food sy stems may influence perceived pungency.