Hi Stu,

Following on from Emma's suggestion, if you are wanting to do something with chocolate, Montezumas do a 100% cocoa one - https://www.montezumas.co.uk/bars-c1/100-cocoa-chocolate-bar-absolute-black-p249

No added salt or sugar, so perfect for testing your own additives.

It is stocked in Sainsbury's and various places online.

A random taste observation - if you chew it, it is horribly bitter, but much more pleasant when allowed to melt on the tongue.

I am now going to try it with salt!

Hope that helps,

Erica

---
Dr Erica Bower
Freelance Interpretation Consultant
M: 07960 620190

From: psci-com: on public engagement with science <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Emma Donnelly <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 16 February 2018 10:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Salty science ideas

Hi Stu,

This is probably more of a positive experience regarding salt, but if pitched the right way then it could show how "manipulative" salt can be when added to food.

Basically, salt is a bitterness inhibitor. So what I do is offer samples of 90% cocoa content (or higher if possible) chocolate (usually Lindt brand). It's pretty bitter and astringent and not many people enjoy it. But if you taste it plain and then repeat, but add a sprinkle of salt, it makes the experience sweeter and more pleasant.

This shows that adding salt can have a different result than just making food "salty". And perhaps why companies add salt to foods you may not consider would need it (i.e. "hidden").

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=tLQ_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA672&lpg=PA672&dq=salt+bitterness+inhibitor&source=bl&ots=nVt5lCUrIw&sig=9Ele2laE7dlst6yY4APaUQuset0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiqvLmhmqrZAhUKU7wKHSD2D74Q6AEIajAI#v=onepage&q=salt%20bitterness%20inhibitor&f=false

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/11/04/2732686.htm

If you encounter poor tasters (i.e. people who aren't sensitive to bitter, the opposite of supertasters) they won't notice much of a change. But most children are more sensitive to bitter flavours.

You can also try it with bitter coffee and tonic water.

It's a good one because it is experiential and starts conversations between the about what they each taste...so participants remember it.

Hope that's helpful.

Cheers,

Emma

www.culinaryscience.com.au

On Friday, 16 February 2018, 6:01:16 pm AWST, Stuart Farrimond <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hi all,

I’m looking to do some activities with young kids (and maybe their Mum/Dad) about hidden salt in food. Does anyone have any experience or ideas? Reading the labels isn’t much fun, or memorable.

My one idea thus far is to make cups of sweetened tea with differing amounts of sugar, plus one that has a pinch of salt added and ask them to taste which they think has the most sugar. From my experience a once sugar tea tastes equivalent to a three sugars.

It would be nice to show that salt can be substituted with something else, although I keep coming back to the notion that salt is intrinsically tasty and appealing…

Thanks Psci-com-ers!

Stu Farrimond

**********************************************************************

psci-com how-to: Once subscribed, send emails for the list to [log in to unmask]. If not subscribed, either subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com or send requests for items to be posted on your behalf to [log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)

• signoff psci-com (to leave the list) • set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) • set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)

Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print

Contact Jisc Helpline: Email: [log in to unmask], Telephone: 0300 300 2212

**********************************************************************

To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)

• signoff psci-com (to leave the list) • set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) • set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)

Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print

Contact Jisc Helpline: Email: [log in to unmask], Telephone: 0300 300 2212

**********************************************************************

To unsubscribe (or silence messages while away) send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets)

• signoff psci-com (to leave the list) • set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) • set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages)