# Sensorial Perception of Astringency: Oral Mechanisms and Current Analysis Methods

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how astringency is perceived in the mouth and the methods used to measure and simulate it, aiming to improve food design and consumer preferences.

## Contribution

The paper offers a comprehensive overview of current methods and mechanisms related to astringency perception.

## Key findings

- Astringency perception involves complex oral mechanisms influenced by food properties.
- Recent methods allow both direct and indirect quantification of astringency.
- Understanding astringency can guide food design to reduce undesirable mouthfeel.

## Abstract

Understanding consumers’ food choices and the psychological processes involved in their preferences is crucial to promote more mindful eating regulation and guide food design. Fortifying foods minimizing the oral dryness, rough, and puckering associated with many functional ingredients has been attracting interest in understanding oral astringency over the years. A variety of studies have explored the sensorial mechanisms and the food properties determining astringency perception. The present review provides a deeper understanding of astringency, a general view of the oral mechanisms involved, and the exciting variety of the latest methods used to direct and indirectly quantify and simulate the astringency perception and the specific mechanisms involved.