The Taste Liking Questionnaire (TasteLQ) – A tool for assessment of taste liking in the Danish population

•Development of a Danish questionnaire to assess liking of taste and oral sensations.•The questionnaire was found to be feasible with good test–retest reliability.•Adequate construct validity was demonstrated within each sensory modality.•Moderate agreement was observed between the questionnaire and hedonic testing. This study aimed to develop and validate a Taste Liking Questionnaire (TasteLQ) to measure the liking of taste and oral sensations represented by food items in the Danish adult population. Food items adapted to the Danish culture were selected to represent five basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami), fat sensation and two oral sensations (astringency and pungency). The reliability and validity of the TasteLQ were assessed in a multi-step process. The list of selected items was refined by an expert panel and subsequently clustered based on taste and sensation intensity ratings confirming their singularity for each modality. TasteLQ was found to be clear and quick to complete with a good test–retest reliability. In a hedonic liking evaluation (n = 38), moderate agreement was found between questionnaire-based taste liking scores and direct measurements of taste liking. Construct validity of each intensity-derived modality was evaluated in Danish participants (n = 7,201). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed one, two, and three-factor structures with adequate fit of the tested models. The majority of identified factors displayed an acceptable to good internal consistency reliability. Factor analysis led to the exclusion of four items consequently yielding a final 44-item questionnaire. In conclusion, TasteLQ is a valid and feasible tool to measure taste and sensation liking in Danish adults. The questionnaire can be implemented in large-scale studies from which valuable insight to the role of taste liking in food choice, eating behavior, and disease risk factors can be gained.