Genome-Wide Association Studies Identify 15 Genetic Markers Associated with Marmite Taste Preference

Marmite is a popular food eaten around the world, to which individuals have commonly considered themselves either “lovers” or “haters”. We aimed to determine whether this food preference has a genetic basis. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for Marmite taste preference using genotype and questionnaire data from a cohort of 261 healthy adults. We found 1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associated with Marmite taste preference that reached genome-wide significance (p<5x10) in our GWAS analyses. We found another 4 SNPs associated with Marmite taste preference that reached genome-wide significance (p<5x10) in at least one GWAS and/or for at least one phenotype analysed. Moreover, we identified 10 additional SNPs potentially associated with Marmite taste preference through candidate gene analysis. Our results indicate that there is a genetic basis to Marmite taste preference and we have identified 15 genetic markers for this trait. Overall, we conclude that Marmite taste preference is a complex human trait influenced by multiple genetic markers, as well as the environment.