Proposed mechanisms for the role of saliva characteristics in the perception of and preferences for fat emulsifying products. These mechanisms are based on the different results published in the literature (Sarkar and Singh, 2012). Globally, preferences for fat are often described as linked to the texture of the fat present in the product. During oral processing, the salivary parameters that contribute the most to the destabilisation of the emulsion are salivary flow, the amount of proteins and the amount of mucins. Salivary flow participates in the clearance of the product from the surface of the tongue. High levels of proteins and mucins favour the flocculation and coalescence of the emulsion, principally by depletion phenomena and charge attraction. All these in-mouth processes favour the retention of the product on the tongue surface, enhancing the hedonic response to fat texture. In contrast, other salivary compounds seem to contribute more to the rejection of the product. In emulsions with low hedonic values, low salivary flow leads to longer oral clearance and thus to enhancing the perception of undesirable characteristics of the product. High lipase activity should lead to the release of a higher amount of free fatty acids, which are considered to have a poor hedonic value because of their irritating and bitter notes (Stephan and Steinhart, 2000). Last, TAS must be considered with regard to the oxidation of emulsion perception and the oily characteristics of the product often linked to the presence of volatiles resulting from PUFA oxidation. For the aroma, saliva can modify the release of flavour from the product first in the oral cavity and then in the nasal cavity. This modification is due to not only the physicochemical properties of saliva (pH and viscosity) but also the concentration and nature of small and large molecules present in the saliva. However, these phenomena depend mainly on the aroma compounds’ characteristics and structure. Therefore, it is difficult to propose a general mechanism and thus identify a positive or negative influence of these phenomena on preferences. TAS: total antioxidant status, FFA: free fatty acids.