Filenews 4 March 2025
Scientists have developed an innovative device that allows the reproduction of food and drink flavours, giving users the ability to share taste experiences remotely within seconds.
The device, dubbed "e-Taste," was designed to enhance the virtual and augmented reality experience, but it can also find applications in biomedical research and creating "virtual taste experiences," according to the team of scientists who developed it.
However, the team notes that the system requires further development, mainly as there are taste sensations that the device cannot replicate, such as spicy foods and those with increased fat.
The team behind the new study notes that there are many barriers, including that directly stimulating the tongue electronically or with heat allows only a few flavours to be triggered. The use of chemicals can create reliability problems. At the same time, arranging flavours on the tongue means that it is necessary for users to target specific areas to create special sensations.
How "e-Taste" works
The system has two main elements. First, an "electronic language" analyzes the chemical composition of a liquefied food or drink sample and transmits the information wirelessly. Next, the device uses small electromagnetic pumps that channel liquids through a special gel, which contains five basic taste substances:
- Glucose (sweet taste)
- Citric acid (sour taste)
- Sodium chloride (salty taste)
- Magnesium chloride (bitter taste)
- Glutamate (umami flavour)
These substances are combined, allowing the reproduction of tastes corresponding to specific foods.
Tests and challenges
In experiments, participants were able to identify with 87% accuracy the flavours created by the device, such as lemonade, cakes, fried egg, coffee and fish soup. However, the system is not yet able to reproduce certain flavours, such as spicy foods and those with a high fat content.
Despite the challenges, scientists believe that "e-Taste" has many applications, from taste education and weight management, to improving online shopping and video game experiences.
The study was published in Science Advances, with the scientific community expecting further improvements that will allow for even more accurate reproduction of flavours.
CNA
