"The idea of a bitter suppressor is the holy grail," said Linda M. Bartoshuk, a professor at the Yale University School of Medicine and a taste research expert, in a front-page story in Tuesday's New York Times.

"Processed foods, like canned soups, sauces, and potato chips, have high amounts of salt to mask the bitter tastes that emerge during the extremely hot cooking process. Some soft drinks are filled with sugars to tone down the bitter taste of caffeine."

"Scientists... have received patents to use four compounds as bitter blockers - molecules that disguise bitter taste in food."