Individualized Optimization of the Salt Content of White Bread for Acceptability

Trained and untrained assessors rated the saltiness of plain slices of white bread varying in NaCl content, relative to personally most preferred (ideal) and to intolerable levels of salt (rejection). Each session with an individual assessor was designed to minimize known sources of bias on multiple sensory judgments. High sensory reliabilities were obtained, showing that the affect‐laden personal ideal level for a characteristic of a food provided a stable anchor, despite the lack of external comparison. The method, therefore, yielded reliable estimates of individuals’ ideal points and tolerances of deviations from the ideal level. Frequency distributions of such objective parameters of individuals’ food‐choice motivation within a segment of the market provide a new basis for deciding the formulation and positioning of a food product.