I think that's a question of how salt receptors work versus how sweet receptors work.
Sweet receptors seem to be triggered by molecules that contain structures that are similar to sugar -- so chemists (or nature) can design an array of similar molecules that can bind those sweet receptors better and produce a sweet taste that is really intense.
Salt receptors are triggered by metal ions -- which are just charged atoms, not molecules. So different alkali metal ions taste salty in slightly different ways -- which is why some "low sodium" foods contain potassium salts instead of sodium salts. You *could* try other metals, but other metals can have unwanted side effects -- lithium salts, for example, are also a medicine for depression, so you probably don't want to use lithium salts as a food additive (and I have no idea how salty it tastes, anyway). Potassium is an okay substitute for sodium, but it doesn't quite taste like sodium salt. But all these alkali metal salts generally aren't "hundreds of times" saltier due to the way they interact with ion receptors on your tongue -- there just isn't a way to make them bind that much better because these are just metal ions -- nature only has a certain number of metal ions that are edible and non-toxic.
I vaguely remember that some potato chip companies are working on ways to make sodium chloride more effective per weight -- but that generally involves changing the size and shape of the salt grains so that they dissolve faster on your tongue. Making salt particles different sizes/shapes doesn't really make the salt any "saltier" but it changes how effectively it is delivered, so that they can use less salt on chips but people still think it tastes as salty.
BTW, Lawrence... why not register as a Techdirt user? You seem to comment here often enough that I recognize your username.
"In its broadest sense, a food additive is any substance added to food. Legally, the term refers to "any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result -- directly or indirectly -- in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food." This definition includes any substance used in the production, processing, treatment, packaging, transportation or storage of food. The purpose of the legal definition, however, is to impose a premarket approval requirement. Therefore, this definition excludes ingredients whose use is generally recognized as safe (where government approval is not needed), those ingredients approved for use by FDA or the U.S. Department of Agriculture prior to the food additives provisions of law, and color additives and pesticides where other legal premarket approval requirements apply."
Any memorable ad is likely a good one..? (unless it's easily mis-remembered to promote competitors instead -- like the battery bunny that people seem to think is an ad for Duracell instead of Energizer.)
It must be pretty difficult to inspect (or even randomly inspect) every imported food for possible mis-labeling... If we can't scan imported shipping containers for stuff like terrorist explosives, there's no way to inspect all the food.
Re: How Will You Gauge SOPA's Success? - with difficulty
The problem with grabstats.com is that it "grabs stats" that were published online a few years ago... which generally means that the data related to 2010 or 2011 are "extrapolated" from 2006 or 2007.
Well, the other thing is -- how accurate is that 44 trillion watts figure? I'm not sure how they arrived at that amount, so maybe they have that part wrong...
heh. yup. De Beers is just taking the cash it has from its diamond monopoly and doubling down on more diamond businesses.... which will probably help ensure its future diamond monopoly.
RE: Socialbots -- yah, the study used highly-rated "hotornot" pictures for profile photos -- so they'd just have to dial that back a bit to get some "less attractive" fake profiles. But the interesting part was that once one of your real friends gets fooled by a socialbot, you're more likely to accept the related friend request. So beware of bots with mutual friends (esp if those friends are gullible)....
Considering that lots of folks are still worried about burying waste from nuclear power plants in deep underground facilities, I'm pretty sure a *flying* nuclear power plant would be a bit outside the acceptable risk tolerances for the general public...
But maybe it's possible for military planes since there are plenty of nuclear-powered submarines.
That's a pretty cool airship... but I'm not sure that advertising it as "fast" is the right way to go. It's a big solar-powered helium balloon -- it's not going to be too swift compared to jets.
On the post: DailyDirt: Sweeteners By Any Another Other Names May Not Taste As Sweet...
Re: Re: Artificial Salteners?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_substitute
On the post: DailyDirt: Sweeteners By Any Another Other Names May Not Taste As Sweet...
Re: Artificial Salteners?
I think that's a question of how salt receptors work versus how sweet receptors work.
Sweet receptors seem to be triggered by molecules that contain structures that are similar to sugar -- so chemists (or nature) can design an array of similar molecules that can bind those sweet receptors better and produce a sweet taste that is really intense.
Salt receptors are triggered by metal ions -- which are just charged atoms, not molecules. So different alkali metal ions taste salty in slightly different ways -- which is why some "low sodium" foods contain potassium salts instead of sodium salts. You *could* try other metals, but other metals can have unwanted side effects -- lithium salts, for example, are also a medicine for depression, so you probably don't want to use lithium salts as a food additive (and I have no idea how salty it tastes, anyway). Potassium is an okay substitute for sodium, but it doesn't quite taste like sodium salt. But all these alkali metal salts generally aren't "hundreds of times" saltier due to the way they interact with ion receptors on your tongue -- there just isn't a way to make them bind that much better because these are just metal ions -- nature only has a certain number of metal ions that are edible and non-toxic.
I vaguely remember that some potato chip companies are working on ways to make sodium chloride more effective per weight -- but that generally involves changing the size and shape of the salt grains so that they dissolve faster on your tongue. Making salt particles different sizes/shapes doesn't really make the salt any "saltier" but it changes how effectively it is delivered, so that they can use less salt on chips but people still think it tastes as salty.
BTW, Lawrence... why not register as a Techdirt user? You seem to comment here often enough that I recognize your username.
On the post: DailyDirt: Sweeteners By Any Another Other Names May Not Taste As Sweet...
Re: artificial sweetner=food additive?
http://www.fda.gov/food/foodingredientspackaging/ucm094211.htm#foodadd
"In its broadest sense, a food additive is any substance added to food. Legally, the term refers to "any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result -- directly or indirectly -- in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food." This definition includes any substance used in the production, processing, treatment, packaging, transportation or storage of food. The purpose of the legal definition, however, is to impose a premarket approval requirement. Therefore, this definition excludes ingredients whose use is generally recognized as safe (where government approval is not needed), those ingredients approved for use by FDA or the U.S. Department of Agriculture prior to the food additives provisions of law, and color additives and pesticides where other legal premarket approval requirements apply."
On the post: DailyDirt: People Are Stupid, So They Don't Question Sky Law...
Re:
On the post: DailyDirt: Making Foods Yucky...
Re:
On the post: DailyDirt: Everyone Knows The Moon Is Made Of Cheese...
Re:
On the post: DailyDirt: Everyone Knows The Moon Is Made Of Cheese...
Re: A Grand Day Out
If only dogs were really so handy...
On the post: DailyDirt: Manned Missions To Space
Re: Or alternatively, win a trip to space
But I think I'd look at your contest more like: Win $102,000 with the option of taking that prize in the form of a ticket to space... :)
It's a catchy way to grab your audience's attention, though -- much better than just offering the cash alone.
On the post: A Question For SOPA Supporters: How Will You Gauge SOPA's Success?
Re: How Will You Gauge SOPA's Success? - with difficulty
The eMarketer figures are presumably related to this report:
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/470885/global_music_tuning_into_new_opportunities .pdf
And that report was published in May 2007 -- so the figures for 2011 are merely projected estimates.... and not reliable or accurate.
On the post: DailyDirt: Re-visting Vitalism
Re: Vitalism Isn’t Dead
On the post: DailyDirt: Getting To Space Ain't Easy
Re: Occupy the International Space Station!
On the post: DailyDirt: Measuring Important Stuff...
Re:
On the post: DailyDirt: Science Policies For The US
Re:
On the post: DailyDirt: Look Up, Look Down All Around, Hey Satellite...
Re: Space junk poses a greater risk
On the post: DailyDirt: Getting A Crowd Together...
Re:
On the post: DailyDirt: Diamonds Don't Just Look Pretty....
Re: Re:
On the post: DailyDirt: We've Got The Droids You're Looking For...
Re:
On the post: DailyDirt: Impractically-Powered Planes
Re: Re:
But maybe it's possible for military planes since there are plenty of nuclear-powered submarines.
On the post: DailyDirt: Impractically-Powered Planes
Re: Solar Airship/plane hybrid
On the post: DailyDirt: Real Zombies...
Re:
I, for one, do NOT welcome our insect overlords!
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