Seeing sweet and choosing sour: Compensatory effects of typeface on consumers’ choice behavior

The present research included two field studies investigating, firstly, the effects of round and angular typefaces on taste expectations and, secondly, how such expectations may have downstream effects on naturalistic consumer choice. A taste experiment conducted at a science festival asked participants (N = 125) to rate the expected and actual sweetness and sourness of beer served from plastic cups labelled with either angular or round typeface. Effects of typeface were found on both taste expectations and perceived taste, but in opposite directions; participants rated the expected sourness of a beer as higher in the round (vs. angular) typeface condition, whereas they rated perceived sourness as lower in the round compared to the angular typeface condition. A follow-up field study conducted at a beer bar tested whether different typefaces on a beer board would affect actual beer choices. Data consisted of beer transactions (N = 1,952) and included the monetary amount, and the specific style, and size of beer purchased. The results showed that average transaction amount was lower in the round (vs. angular) typeface condition, and that customers purchased more sour beer options in this condition. These findings support a crossmodal compensation account, and suggest that round typefaces could increase choices of contrasting sour products. Hence, marketers may want to consider how typefaces can either enhance or diminish certain tastes.     

Factors affecting detection of a bimodal sour-savory mixture and inter-individual umami taste perception

While basic taste interactions have been the subject of many research studies, there is one combination where data is limited in the literature: sour and umami. This combination is universal in culinary preparations and of key interest to the food industry. Therefore, the primary goal of the present study is to assess how increasing concentrations of acidity (citric acid) affect, if at all, the intensity of a constant concentration of umami (monosodium glutamate, MSG). The secondary goal is to investigate other possible factors in umami taste perception. Here, a crowdsourced cohort of 734 individuals (age range 8–81) tasted and rated the intensity of 50 mM MSG alone, and in combination with citric acid at varying concentrations (1.25 mM, 6.25 mM, 31.25 mM). Participants were also genotyped for the single nucleotide polymorphism rs34160967 in the TAS1R1 gene. The results show a significant decrease in the intensity perception of umami as sour concentration increases (low: p = 0.005, medium: p < 0.001, high: p < 0.001). Situational factors such as participant hunger level and time since last eating also have a significant effect on umami intensity perception. Neither the biological factors of sex, age, and ancestry appear to play a role in umami perception, nor does variation in gene TAS1R1 at rs34160967. These new data contribute to the growing field of taste and sensory interaction by giving evidence that sour suppresses umami taste perception in bi-model samples.     

When organic products are tasty: Taste inferences from an Organic = Healthy Association

Previous research has consistently demonstrated that organic food is typically seen as healthier. The aim of the present study is to investigate how these health inferences influence taste perceptions of organic food. In Study 1, we show that a neutral food product with an organic label is perceived as more healthy than the same product without such a label. This higher level of perceived healthiness is paired with an improved perceived taste. In Study 2 and 3, we obtain evidence in Dutch and US samples that an organic label increases perceived taste and attractiveness of healthy (but not unhealthy) food. Whereas previous studies have shown general health halo effects of organic labels, this perspective cannot explain the specific pattern of our results, which speaks towards an ‘organic = healthy = tasty’ intuition.     

Crossmodal associations and subjective ratings of Asian noodles and the impact of the receptacle

We investigated the crossmodal associations that people hold for Asian noodles, and the influence of the plateware/receptacle. Chinese participants viewed online photographs of natural, red, green, and yellow noodles presented in bowls or plates made from ceramic, glass, paper, or stainless steel. In Experiment 1, the participants reported the first taste/flavour that came to mind, and rated their feelings and taste/flavour expectations concerning the noodles. In Experiment 2, the participants had to choose a taste term from a list to indicate the first taste that came to mind, and rated their feelings about the noodles. The results of both experiments revealed that the red noodles tended to be associated with a spicy taste/flavour; whereas the yellow noodles were often associated with a savoury taste/flavour, and rated as looking more familiar and pleasant than either the red or green noodles. The receptacles used to present the noodles did not influence the observed colour-flavour associations. However, the material of the receptacles appeared to interact with the colour of the noodles in terms of influencing people’s subjective ratings of, and taste/flavour expectations concerning, the noodles. These findings therefore demonstrate the complex interactions that can occur between the colour of the product and the type/material of the receptacle on people’s expectations regarding the taste/flavour of Asian noodles in the Asian marketplace.     

The role of sour and bitter perception in liking,familiarity and choice for phenol-rich plant-based foods

Among factors influencing food preferences and choices, individual differences in taste perception play a key role in defining eating behaviour. In particular, sour and bitter responsiveness could be associated with the acceptance and the consumption of phenol-rich plant-based foods recommended for a healthy diet. The aim of this study was to investigate, in a large population sample, the associations among sour and bitter responsiveness and liking, familiarity and choice for plant-based foods characterized by these target tastes. Adults aged 18 to 60 years (n = 1198; 58% women) were tested for their sour and bitter responsiveness both in water solutions and in food models (pear juice-based beverages modified in citric acid content to induce different levels of sourness: 0.5, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 g/kg; chocolate pudding samples modified in sucrose content to induce different levels of bitterness: 38, 83, 119, 233 g/kg). Familiarity, stated liking and choice for fruit juices and vegetables varying for sour/bitter taste (high in bitter/sour taste: e.g. grapefruit juice and cauliflower; low in bitter/sour taste: e.g. zucchini and pineapple juice) were measured. Results showed a significant positive correlation between bitter and sour taste perception in water solutions and model foods, as well as a positive correlation between the perceived intensity of the two taste stimuli. Subjects characterized by high responsiveness to the two target stimuli were found to give lower liking scores to foods characterized by sour/bitter tastes and tended to choose less sour/bitter foods compared to less responsive subjects.Thus, food choice for phenol rich plant-based products could be associated with a reduced responsiveness to bitter and sour tastes and a consequent higher acceptance of food products characterized by these taste qualities.     

The effect of the nutri-score label on consumer’s attitudes,taste perception and purchase intention: An experimental pilot study

A large number of studies has emerged on the environmental impacts of diets, with most studies concluding that a diet rich in plant-based foods, that are low in salt, sugar, and fat, and score high in nutritional values, confers both improved health and environmental benefits. Currently, new interventions are being implemented to improve people’s eating behavior, because most people overconsume unhealthy snacks, containing high proportions of salt, sugar and fat. The purpose of the current pilot study was to investigate the effects of the Nutri-Score label on three different snack bars on consumers’ attitudes, taste perception, and purchase intention towards these food products. An experimental study was conducted with a between subject design (food packaging with Nutri-Score label versus without) among 192 participants (M_age 31.7 years, SD 14.3 years; 63% female). Results showed that there were no effects found for the effect of the Nutri- Score label on consumers’ attitudes, taste perception and purchase intention. Bayesian analyses support the conclusion that the null hypothesis is accepted. These findings show that integrating the Nutri-Score label on food packages did not modify cognitive responses of consumers towards these food products. Changing consumption behaviors is challenging and more empirical and theoretical understanding is needed.     

Implications of sequential use of UV and ozone for drinking water quality

The formation of bromate levels exceeding the drinking water standard of 10 microg L-1 may impose the reduction of ozone doses used in the treatment of drinking water. This paper illustrates the procedure of evaluating the use of reduced ozone doses while implementing an additional UV disinfection step for an actual drinking water treatment plant. Ozonation was performed at low ozone doses in bench-scale experiments with a pretreated river water from the Paris area (France). At the low ozone dose of 0.5 mg L-1, bromate formation could be kept below 0.4 microg L-1, while inactivation of vegetative bacteria and UV-resistant viruses was calculated to exceed 5 log units, and a substantial decoloration (31% of the absorption at lambda=254 nm) was achieved. Based on the measured transient ozone and OH radical concentrations, the oxidation of micropollutants was calculated. Fast reacting micropollutants containing phenol, amine or double bond moieties, such as sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac and 17-alpha-ethinylestradiol, were completely oxidized. Slow-reacting synthetic micropollutants, e.g., atrazine, iopromide and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), were oxidized by only 20%, 20% and 10%, respectively, and the taste and odor compounds 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and geosmin by 40% and 50%, respectively. The addition of an UV treatment step to the existing treatment train, which should guarantee disinfection of ozone-resistant pathogenic microorganisms, including Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, has negligible effects on water matrix components but may induce significant transformation of micropollutants. Overall, the combination of ozonation at reduced doses and UV treatment leads to an improved water quality with regard to disinfection, oxidation of micropollutants and minimization of bromate.     

A systematic study on spatial and seasonal patterns of eight taste and odor compounds with relation to various biotic and abiotic parameters in Gonghu Bay of Lake Taihu, China

A systematic study was conducted on seasonal and spatial patterns of taste and odor (T&O) compounds with relation to biotic and abiotic parameters at fifteen sites in Gonghu Bay of Lake Taihu in 2008. We developed a sensitive and automated method to simultaneously analyze eight T&O compounds (boiling points ranging from 38 °C to 239 °C) by using Purge-and-Trap (P&T) coupled with GC/MS. Maximum particulate dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS, 69.6 ng/L) exceeded its odor threshold concentrations (OTC, 10 ng/L) and maximum dissolved DMTS was 6.1 ng/L, but still far below concentration in the drinking water pollution incident of Wuxi City in 2007 when DMTS reached 1768-11,399 ng/L. Geosmin (GEO), 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), β-cyclocitral, β-ionone and 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) occasionally or frequently exceeded their OTCs, whereas 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IPMP) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) did not. We found for the first time significant correlations between particulate β-cyclocitral and β-ionon concentrations and intracellular and extracellular microcystin concentrations. Spatially, Nanquan Waterworks faced more risk by T&O contamination than Xidong Waterworks. High concentrations of NO₃-N, TDN and TN could be risky signs of taste and odor events by DMS, DMTS, IPMP, IBMP and GEO.     

Effect of successive stimuli on sweetness intensity of gels and custards

Variations of tastant concentration during the consumption of food products were shown to enhance taste intensity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between the frequency at which tastant concentration is varied during the consumption of products and the occurrence of taste enhancement. For this purpose, the sweetness intensity of sequences of 4 successive sweet stimuli represented by cubes of a semi-solid gel or spoons of a model custard dessert was assessed. The intensity and the order of the stimuli within the sequences were varied to obtain 4 types of sucrose concentration profile (decreasing, increasing, middle peak and boundary peak) at 2 magnitudes of concentration differences (small and large). Sequences of 4 stimuli containing a constant sucrose concentration were used as a reference. The sweetness intensity of the sequences of successive stimuli was assessed using line scale and time-intensity ratings.Line scale ratings showed that the type of sequence had an effect on sweetness intensity. A sweetness enhancement relative to the reference was observed in sequences that ended with high-intensity stimuli, whereas sweetness suppression was observed in sequences that ended with low-intensity stimuli. The observed sweetness enhancement and suppression were attributed to serial position effects (i.e. recency effects).Time-intensity ratings indicated that each stimulus in the sequences was evaluated individually by the assessors. Sequential effects seem to have occurred during the continuous evaluation of successive stimuli, since preceding stimuli in the sequences affected the evaluation of posterior stimuli. Furthermore, the overall sweetness intensity of the different sequences was not enhanced in relation to the reference. The lack of taste enhancement in sequences exhibiting variations of sucrose concentration was attributed mainly to the long period at which sucrose concentration was varied during the evaluation of the sequences. It was confirmed that the frequency of variation of tastant concentration affects the occurrence of taste enhancement.