John Hayes

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sushi with soy sauce

Probing Question: What is umami?

3/31/15

The term umami was coined in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, who identified the chemical basis for the flavor. The taste itself "is the meaty, brothy, savory sensation we perceive from certain amino acids." Food scientist John Hayes, director of Penn State's Sensory Evaluation Center, offers additional insight.

burning alcohol in shot glasses

Research shows alcohol sensations influenced by genes

9/23/14

How people perceive and taste alcohol depends on genetic factors, and that influences whether they "like" and consume alcoholic beverages, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

red cup filled with sugar

Sugar substitutes not so super sweet after all

9/4/14

The taste of common sugar substitutes is often described as being much more intense than sugar, but participants in a recent study indicated that these non-nutritive sugar substitutes are no sweeter than the real thing, according to Penn State food scientists.

Why do we love snack food-Art

Why do we love snack food?

1/24/14

Although the Steelers and Eagles didn’t make it to the Super Bowl this year, Pennsylvania and Penn State will still be represented on game day — on your plate. And more likely than not, Penn State experts have had a hand in developing, or evolving, many of the Keystone State’s famous finger foods.

stevia plant and flowers

Multiple genes manage how people taste sweeteners

8/20/13

Genetics may play a role in how people's taste receptors send signals, leading to a wide spectrum of taste preferences, according to Penn State food scientists. These varied, genetically influenced responses may mean that food and drink companies will need a range of artificial sweeteners to accommodate different consumer tastes.

Chocolate ice cream

Dark chocolate lovers show tolerance for bitterness in ice cream

7/24/13

In light of the global obesity epidemic, many consumers and health professionals are concerned about the levels of added sugars in foods. Now, a study by Penn State researchers has shown that some consumers may not need all the added sugars in order to enjoy one of America's favorite comfort foods: chocolate ice cream.

photo of John Hayes

John Hayes receives Buck Award in the Agricultural Sciences

3/22/13

John Hayes, assistant professor of food science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has received The 2012 Roy C. Buck Faculty Award in the Agricultural Sciences for his article, "Wine Expertise Predicts Taste Phenotype."

Video: Food science researchers discuss flavor sensations

11/6/12

As Penn State celebrates 150 years of graduate education, Research Unplugged featured a graduate student researcher at the third talk in its six-event series. Food science doctoral candidate Nadia Byrnes and her faculty mentor, John Hayes, presented "Some Like it Hot: The Science Behind Our Food Preferences." Hayes is assistant professor of food science and director of the University's Sensory Evaluation Center. A video excerpt from Byrnes and Hayes' talk examines the components that combine to result in a food's flavor.

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Wine experts' ratings may be a wash for many consumers

3/1/12

Not all wines are created equal; neither are all wine tasters. A wine expert's acute sense of taste may mean that expert ratings and recommendations are irrelevant to wine consumers who were not born with the ability to discern small differences in a broad range of tastes, according to a team of international researchers. "What we found is that the fundamental taste ability of an expert is different," said John Hayes, assistant professor, food science, and director of Penn State's sensory evaluation center.

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Some people do not taste salt like others

6/16/10

Low-salt foods may be harder for some people to like than others, according to a newly published study by a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The research indicates that genetics influence some of the difference in the levels of salt we like to eat. Those conclusions are important because recent, well-publicized efforts to reduce the salt content in food have left many people struggling to accept fare that simply doesn't taste as good to them as it does to others, pointed out John Hayes, assistant professor of food science, who was lead investigator of the study.