THE PERCEPTION OF THE TASTE OF KCL, NACL AND QUININEHCL IS NOT RELATED TO PROP-SENSITIVITY

Several investigators have studied the relationship between innate, individual, differences in sensitivity to PTC-type compounds and the perception of threshold and suprathreshold concentrations of a wide range of tastants. Some authors reported taste perception differed between 'tasters' and 'non-tasters'; others demonstrated no significant differences. The present study investigated whether an individual's PROP-sensitivity affects perception of KCl, NaCl and quinineHCl. The PROP-threshold concentrations for 60 subjects were determined using the method of limits. Two 20-subject contrast groups were selected to participate in the main experiment. Here, perceived bitterness, saltiness, and total taste intensity were assessed on 150 mm visual analogue scales. The two taster-groups did not differ in their perception of KCl, NaCl, or quinineHCl. It is hypothesized that the significant differences in the perception of PTC-unrelated compounds between 'tasters' and 'non-tasters' reported by other investigators may, in part, be the result of errors during the classification procedure and of inappropriate methods of statistical analysis.