Lipid deposition on the tongue after oral processing of medium-chain triglycerides and impact on the perception of mouthfeel

Lipids between the tongue and palate strongly contribute to the sensory impact of a product. Mouthfeel is a sensory attribute responsible for distinguishing reduced fat from full fat food products. The aim of this work was to quantify the distribution, deposition, and retention of lipids on the tongue and palate upon oral processing and relate this to texture. The thickness of lipid deposition was measured in mouth by fluorescence. A trained panel evaluated the perceived intensity of samples to describe lipid Mouthfeel. The thickness of lipid deposition on the tongue shows spatial variation (10-100 microm) and stopped increasing after intakes higher than 8 mL of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). After 2 min, only 25% of the lipid deposition was retained on oral surfaces. A difference in the thickness of lipid deposition of 25 microm resulted in significantly different perception. This work describes the in-mouth behavior of food lipids and its influence on texture perception.