New perspective on taste perception : the possible contribution of oral microbiota

It is well known that food choices and eating habits are mediated by a number of biological and environmental factors. Taste is considered one of the main predictors of individual food selection and varies greatly among individuals. Thus, is important to understand how, and to what extent, individual variability can determinately contribute to explain food preferences and behaviors. Moreover, with increasing prevalence of diseases related to over nutrition, there is considerable interest in identifying the factors that could predispose individuals to such disease by influencing dietary decisions. It has been suggested that also microbes in the gastrointestinal tract could have a potential direct role in shaping eating behaviours and food preferences. This presentation focuses on associations between individual differences in sensory perception, oral microbiota and eating habits among adults and children. Despite this novel topic has not been systematically investigated so far, there are some recently results showing the link among these variables. Results are still fragmented, and the overall picture is under construction. However, both the scientific community and society needs the expertise of the sensory scientists to solve the multidisciplinary tasks and to provide further insights into the complexities of human eating behaviors