Liking for saltiness is associated with preference for fattier and more caloric foods

The high consumption of foods rich in salt, fat and sugar represents a risk factor for adverse health outcomes, and while strategies for the reduction of these ingredients have been developed, results have been inconclusive. One reason for this may be that the relationship between preferences for salty, fat and sweet foods is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether individuals showing a higher liking for salty foods also prefer fattier foods, whether savoury or non-savoury/sweet. Liking and intensity responses for a model food (bean purée with increasing concentrations of salt, NaCl, added) were provided by 395 subjects to identify groups of consumers with different responses to saltiness.

Hierarchical cluster analysis based on liking scores revealed that one group of subjects (Cluster 1: Salt likers, n = 285) liked the bean purée samples with higher NaCl concentrations significantly more than did those belonging to Cluster 2 (Salt dislikers, n = 110). Salt dislikers also rated saltiness, umami taste, and overall flavour as significantly more intense than did salt likers. These differences were also present in assessment of tastes in water solutions, while no differences between clusters in fungiform papillae density and in attitudes toward health and taste were found. Significant differences between the two clusters were found in terms of food choices, with salt likers choosing foods – both savoury and non-savoury/sweet – that are fattier, more caloric, and thus perceived as less healthy, more frequently than did salt dislikers.

These results suggest that subjects preferring saltier foods generally also prefer fattier foods, whether savoury or not-savoury. Thus, the approach of segmenting individuals on salty taste preferences appears to be a useful way of identifying consumers groups more prone to make less healthy food choices in general.