Subjects
One hundred and four adult subjects were recruited through a
University of Minnesota database of students and staff who had
previously expressed interest in participating in studies via the
University’s Sensory Center, and through advertisements posted
on campus. A recruitment questionnaire was used to screen indi-
viduals for several factors: current dieting status in terms of
restriction of calories, fat, carbohydrates, salt, and sugar; presence
of food allergies; and motivation to make a number of diet-related
changes, namely motivation to consume a diet lower in calories,
fat, sugar, and salt; motivation to eat less ‘junk food’ and fast food;
and motivation to eat more fruits and vegetables, organic foods,
and whole grains. These screening questions were selected as
items generally related to consumption of a healthy diet in order
to disguise the study focus of salt intake. Subjects were also asked
to indicate their liking for and willingness to consume tomato juice
(the food used to test study objectives). Subjects already restricting
salt use, those with food allergies, and those that disliked tomato
juice were rejected as participants. Based on these exclusion crite-
ria, 96 subjects were initially enrolled in the study. Thirteen sub-
jects stopped participating over the course of the study primarily
due to scheduling conflicts and time commitment, for a final total
of 83 subjects. Testing procedures were approved by the University
of Minnesota Institutional Review Board. Subjects were compen-
sated for participating.