Editing Umami (section)

== Perceptual independence from salty and sweet taste ==
Since all umami taste compounds are sodium salts, the perceptual differentiation of salty and umami tastes has been difficult in taste tests and studies have found as much as 27% of certain populations may be umami "hypotasters".<ref name=hartley/>

Furthermore single glutamate (glutamic acid) with no table salt ions (Na+) elicits sour taste and in psychophysical tests, sodium or potassium salt cations seem to be required to produce a perceptible umami taste.<ref name=hartley />

Sweet and umami tastes both utilize the taste receptor subunit [[TAS1R3]], with salt taste blockers reducing discrimination between monosodium glutamate and sucrose in rodents.<ref name=hartley />

If umami doesn't have perceptual independence, it could be classified with other tastes like fat, carbohydrate, metallic, and calcium, which can be perceived at high concentrations but may not offer a prominent taste experience.<ref name=hartley/>