Researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona have developed an electronic tongue that can distinguish the difference between a pilsner and a bock.  Head researcher of the study, Manel del Valle, says the electronic tongue uses an array of sensors to identify the chemical components in a solution, which generate information based on pattern recognition.

The robotic device is best at discerning tastes it has been programed to detect.  An article on Science Daily states that an array of 21 sensors was formed for the experiment, including some with a response to cations (ammonium, sodium), others with response to anions (nitrate, chloride, etc.), and electrodes with generic (unspecified) response to the varieties of beer considered.

Taste of Precision
In the study published in Food Chemistry, Del Valle notes that the tongue was able, “to distinguish between the main categories of beer we studied: Schwarzbier, lager, double malt, Pilsen, Alsatian, and low-alcohol… and with a success rate of 81.9%.”

For the food and beverage industry, this creates an opportunity for the tongue to be used for quality control and could replace the need for human taste testers.  As Del Valle and his colleagues are fine-tuning their data processing tools for accuracy, they are tailoring the device for use in the beverage industry.  However, the robotic tongue might prove useful for other markets, such as the pharmaceutical industry in testing drugs for manufacturers.

Photo courtesy of nature.com.

Future Use
Gary Beauchamp, Ph.D., Director and President at Monell Chemical Senses Center, shares with us his perceived uses for the device.  “I can imagine two major purposes: 1. testing materials (e.g. drugs) that one would not be able to actually taste for health reasons; 2. Routine testing of products for quality control purposes,” he states.

As for the impact this device has on the future, he notes that this remains to be determined.  “If one were able to fully mimic human taste perception this would of course be very important. But as far as I am aware, no one has yet reached this goal.”

So we ask you, what do you think about the robotic tongue? Could this be the next big technological development for the flavor industry?  Which markets could benefit most from a tasting device like the electronic tongue?  Share your thoughts with us below!

The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States (FEMA) was founded in 1909 and is the national association of the U.S. flavor industry.  FEMA’s membership is comprised of flavor manufacturers, flavor users, flavor ingredient suppliers, and others with an interest in the U.S. flavor industry.  The association is committed to ensuring a safe supply of flavor ingredients used in foods and beverages enjoyed by billions of men, women, and children around the world.