Breaking the bitterness barrier: Cutting-Edge strategies combining computer screening, sensory science, and dual-path debittering technologies

Background

Bitterness is one of the five basic taste sensations influencing consumer acceptance and dietary choices. The bitter ingredients in food are characterized by wide sources, diverse structures, and complex taste sensation mechanisms. Accurately discovering and identifying bitter ingredients in food is an important prerequisite for improving food palatability.

Scope and approach

This review explored advancements in bitter molecule identification using computational approaches, i.e., database searching, machine learning, and molecular docking/simulation. Though computer-based approaches have accelerated bitter compound screening, their predictions often lack biological and sensory context. This review systematically addresses this gap by proposing a closed-loop framework that synergizes computational tools with sensory-guided validation. Crucially, we highlight emerging strategies to suppress bitterness, including technique-guided debittering strategies (ultrasonication, thermal/microwave treatment, and fermentation) and perception-modifying approaches (bitter-blockers targeting the taste pathway and aroma-taste interactions by incongruent aromas). This dual-path strategy offers actionable insights for designing palatable functional foods.

Key findings and conclusions

The findings of this review highlighted the fast discovery of computer-driven screenings while addressing their limitations, such as the inability to capture matrix effects and reliance on existing data quality. Sensory analysis bridges the gap between computational prediction and real-world perception. The integration of AI, molecular docking/simulation, and sensory validation creates a closed-loop system for bitter compound identification. Further research in food bitterness should focus on collecting structural data on bitter taste receptors, developing tailored debittering approaches targeting key bitter molecules, and mapping the exact neurological pathways of aroma-bitterness interaction for a wide application of the multisensory-integration debittering strategy.