Electronic Tongue: Game Changing Technology

“There is no sincere love than the love of food.” George Bernard Shaw

Food is far more than sustenance. It evokes emotion and connects us to experiences. Our taste buds respond to flavour long before we consciously process what we are eating.

Imagine a world where computers can mimic our sense of taste, distinguishing subtle differences in bitterness or sweetness. This concept is becoming a reality thanks to advances in analytical technology. Scientists have developed a system known as the electronic tongue (ET), a biosensor designed to emulate the taste recognition function of the human tongue.

After studying how humans rely on both taste and smell, researchers developed ET as a tool for discrimination, identification and quantification of taste and aftertaste. ET consists of an array of lipid membrane sensors that interact with salts, sugars, bitter molecules and other taste active substances in a liquid sample. These interactions generate electrical signals that dedicated software converts into objective taste profiles.

Why use an electronic tongue

• Human sensory evaluation is influenced by personal preferences, cultural background and many external factors. This subjectivity can lead to inconsistent taste assessments.
• Maintaining a trained sensory panel requires time, resources and ongoing monitoring to ensure repeatability. Human assessors also experience fatigue, adaptation and variability in performance over time.
• Ethical considerations arise when samples may be hazardous, unpleasant or not suitable for repeated human testing. For instance, industrial production lines require rapid and reliable quality control, which is not always feasible using human testers.

Advantages of the electronic tongue

• Efficiency and cost effectiveness ET does not require specialist training and does not suffer from fatigue. It can evaluate large numbers of samples rapidly, supporting routine quality control.
• Ethical applicability ET can assess samples that may be unsuitable or unsafe for humans to taste.
• Objective measurement It avoids human bias, providing consistent and reproducible data.
• High stability and cross sensitivity ET can detect a wide range of taste attributes including sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness and umami.
• Quantified taste evaluation It produces measurable data that correlate with human taste perception, allowing precise assessment of taste differences and aftertaste.

ET brings objectivity, efficiency and reliability to taste evaluation. It offers a powerful complementary tool to human sensory analysis, supporting innovation and improved quality in food, beverages and pharmaceutical products.

*Podrażka, M., Bączyńska, E., Kundys, M., Jeleń, P. S., & Witkowska Nery, E. (2018). Electronic tongue—A tool for all tastes? Biosensors.