Justin Gaiser, Penn State Food Science, PhD Defense Seminar
- https://foodscience.psu.edu/events/seminar-the-effects-of-protein-in-the-oral-cavity-on-capsaicin-induced-oral-burn-perception
- Seminar - The Effects of Protein in the Oral Cavity on Capsaicin-Induced Oral Burn Perception
- 2026-02-12T16:00:00-05:00
- 2026-02-12T17:00:00-05:00
- Justin Gaiser, Penn State Food Science, PhD Defense Seminar
When February 12, 2026, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where 252 Erickson Food Science Building
Over the last several decades, there has been a sizable amount of research investigating how different food components affect perceived spiciness from capsaicin, the primary pungent compound found in chili peppers. It is a common belief that cow’s milk is one of the best palate cleansers for spicy food, with much research to support this idea. This effect is commonly attributed to the fat content in the milk binding the hydrophobic capsaicin and more effectively rinsing it from the mouth. However, reports have shown that skim (fat-free) and whole (3.5% fat) milk perform just as well as each other at reducing oral burn from capsaicin. Work in recent years has shown that the proteins in cow’s milk do have a significant effect on reducing capsaicin-induced oral burn, which raises several new research questions: does this generalize to other types of proteins; what role to proteins play in palate cleansers other than milk; do proteins in saliva also influence oral burn perception?
