Creation et Characterization of Two Groups of Elderly Subjects so as to Evaluate the Link Between the Characteristics of Oral Physiology, Sensory Sensitivity, the Release in Vivo Aromatic Compounds, and In-mouth Comfort During the Consumption of Foods

There are few data on elderly people concerning mechanisms involved in the in vivo release and perception of aromatic compounds. Any knowledge on this point would be of great interest to the scientific community. Concerning the dimensions of sensory perception and in-mouth comfort, there is, to our knowledge, no methodology to describe them. These dimensions are truly original and innovative, and investigating them will lead to the development of foods adapted to elderly populations with chewing and salivation disorders.

The expected results are:

• to obtain two groups of subjects with differences in chewing abilities and saliva production
• the characterization of flavour release profiles in elderly subjects with regard to oral physiology (mastication and salivation) and saliva composition
• a sensory profile describing in-mouth comfort when food is eaten