Add BrightSurf on Google Email

American Chemical Society


Why doesn’t coffee taste like caffeine?

A team of researchers discovered that coffee molecules, such as melanoidins, significantly reduce the bitterness of caffeine. When combined with chlorogenic acid, these compounds halve the bitter taste of caffeine, suggesting a complex formation prevents interaction with bitter taste receptors.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry·DateJun 3, 2026