Effect of saltiness on the liking and consumption of bread and butter

Abstract

In two experiments bread and butter were salted at different levels, and the effect of this salting on the overall liking and consumption of these foods was studied. In the first experiment the interaction of the saltiness of wheat bread (0.8 %, 1.4 % and 2.0 % NaC1) and butter (0 %, 1.5 % and 2.2 % NaC1) was studied in a sensory test involving 89 subjects. The results indicated a mutual compensation effect between the salty tastes of bread and butter at the lowest salt concentration in the bread. In the second experiment the consumption of wheat bread, sour rye bread and crispbread, and of butter were recorded at a lunch restaurant during a 12 week period. Normally salted bread (1.5–2.0 % NcCl) was available during the initial and final parts of the experiment (3 weeks both), whereas in the middle (6 weeks) only low salt bread (1.0–1.2% NaCl) was served. Consumption of wheat bread increased significantly (p < 0.05) when normal salt bread was served after the low salt period. No other differences between the periods were observed. The daily variation in consumption was large and related to the type of meal.