Children's sensitivity to odor of trimethylamine.

Findings in this paper show a strong correlation between subjects' age and their olfactory sensitivity to the "fishy" odor of trimethylamine, with youngest subjects being most sensitive and adult subjects least sensitive to this odor. This was due to a high percentage of highly sensitive subjects in the youngest age groups; this percentage decreased with age. Data further support the notion that trimethylamine sensitivity is independent of sex. The sensitivity to trimethylamine per se showed no significant covariations with the subjects' preferences for or aversions against fish as food and is probably of minor importance for fish food acceptability.