Effect of Homogenization and Fat Content on Oral Perception of Low and High Viscosity Model Creams

Assessed under low‐intensity red illumination, homogenized and thickened higher fat milk samples evoked higher sensory ratings of creaminess than did the unhomogenized or lower‐fat milks that had not been thickened to the viscosity of double cream. Furthermore, perceptual ratings of fat content showed the same dependency on homogenization, higher fat and thickness and were entirely accounted for by the creaminess ratings. This indicates that assessors recognize the type of milk or cream most similar to a rated standard and infer its fat content on the basis of tactile patterns produced in the mouth by forces at the surface of small and even‐sized dairy fat globules when bulk forces are produced by sufficient viscosity.