Scientists discover a 'sixth taste' for starch

The desire to delve into a whopping great bowl of pasta or devour a huge bag of crisps comes to many of us - and now scientists believe they have discovered a "sixth taste" which could be fuelling our carb cravings.

Until now, it was believed that humans could only detect five different primary tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and, added to the list seven years ago, umami. But now researchers claim we're capable of tasting a "starchy" flavour too.

Juyun Lim, Associate Professor of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University, conducted the research, which suggests that our palate can detect carbohydrates founds in foods such as pasta, potatoes and bread.