Opinion: There’s No Accounting For Taste in Food … But There Should Be
June 25, 2012 Despite the swarms of studies (new and old) supporting the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, consumption still remains a challenge. Obesity is a problem that has reached critical mass in the U.S. While this crisis inspires some to eat healthier and employ exercise routines, others are taking more drastic action. At presstime, the city of New York was considering the ban of super-sized sugar-laden sodas, energy drinks, and teas. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg rationalized the proposal saying that limiting the size of drinks — and food for that matter — would compel people to eat and drink less overall. OK, I get it, but I’m not sure how effective this would be as those thirsty and hungry enough would surely find a way around the sugar patrol to fill up.
Similar to a parent encouraging their children to eat our fruits and veggies, USDA recommends we fill half our plates with them, thus giving us what we need for a balanced meal along with our grains, proteins, and dairy. But, how often does your plate actually resemble USDA’s “My Plate” logo? While the intentions are there (most of the time), my plate usually winds up looking a tad disproportionate. So, what’s driving me and others like me to different fare? In a word: taste.
Flavor Profile
The gastronomic experience employs multiple senses. How something looks, feels, smells, and — most importantly — tastes is how we decide what we like and don’t like. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, flavor has been lost in favor of produce that sports better shelflife, transport capabilities, and disease resistance. Luckily, work has been done and is being done to put the focus back on flavor. We’ve reported earlier this year on the success of the UF/IFAS-bred Tasti-Lee tomato. This red-hot number has brought the swagger back to Florida tomatoes.
In addition, UF scientists recently claimed to have found the secret recipe to great-tasting tomatoes. Using taste-test data, researchers were able to pinpoint chemical compounds in certain tomatoes that appealed to people. What was found will be used in creating future tasty hybrids.
On top of all this, scientific minds just cracked the genetic code of the tomato for the first time. The breakthrough will be used to not only improve taste, but also aid other vital factors including yield, nutrition, disease resistance, and color.
A Full Menu
While tomatoes are one example, the efforts of today’s plant breeders reach far and wide. From blueberries to bell peppers and beyond, the envelope keeps getting pushed to appeal to consumer taste and texture preferences. Proper promotion — when the fruits of all this labor hit the marketplace — is the real trick. You still have to get people to bite. In this case, I can’t think of a better way to do that than word of mouth.