Are YOU a 'Sour Patch' adult? One in eight people enjoy intensely tart ... trends now
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If you went into a sweet shop, what would your go-to selection be?
If the answer is Toxic Waste, Warheads, or Sour Patch Kids, you might be what scientists have coined a 'Sour Patch Adult.'
'Sour Patch Adults' make up around 12 per cent of the population, and enjoy intensely sour sensations, according to researchers from Penn State University.
'This is the first time it's been convincingly shown that there is a segment of adults who likes strongly sour things,' said Professor John Haye, an author of the study.
If you went into a sweet shop, what would your go-to selection be? If the answer is Toxic Waste, Warheads, or Sour Patch Kids, you might be what scientists have coined a 'Sour Patch Adult' (stock image)
According to previous studies, roughly one in three children enjoy intensely sour flavours.
However, until now, this has not been tested in adults.
'Think about candies like Warheads and Sour Patch Kids,' Professor Hayes said.
'The market tells us that there must be some people who enjoy them into adulthood, but now we have an estimate of how many.'
In the study, the team measured the responses of 143 American adults and 350 Italian adults to various levels of citric acid.
The participants were asked to rate the intensity and liking of a range of samples of varying sourness.
For both the Italian and American cohorts, the researchers discovered three distinct patterns of response.
