User Guide



Approximately 25% of the American population can taste the compounds on all three

strips and nothing on the control. Within this 25%, supertasters have different levels of

sensitivity. If a person can test the substance is determined by their phenotype, which is

determined by the genetic genotype. We will denote supertasters with “T” and the

recessive non-supertaster gene with “t”. This enables us to make this classification

hierarchy:

This kit is designed to determine supertaster status utilizing a control placebo paper to

reduce and control for error, increasing the validity of the experiment. The control paper

is not treated with chemicals, and therefore can be used to give tasters a baseline for

what “no taste” would be.

This definition is based on the NHGRI activity entitled “PTC Taste Test Activity” , you can see the activity

here: https://www.genome.gov/Pages/Education/Modules/PTCTasteTestActivity.pdf

Classification

Phenotype

Genotype

Normal

Taster

Cannot determine the difference between

substances or assumes control paper is something

else.

__ __

Standard

Supertaster

Can taste PTC and determine difference between

PTC and control. If they can not taste PTC then

they are not a supertaster.

__ t

Recessive

Supertaster

Can taste everything but Sodium Benzoate

Dominant

Supertaster

Can taste Sodium Benzoate, Thiourea, and PTC

T __