Senses In Food Choice Flashcards
What are the five main types of tastes that receptors in the tongue can distinguish?
- Sweet
- Salt
- Sour
- Bitter
- Umami
These tastes signal various substances such as sugars, sodium, organic acids, potential poisons, and amino acids.
What is the proposed sixth primary taste?
Fat
Some evidence suggests fat may be recognized as a primary taste.
What are the four types of papillae found on the tongue?
- Fungiform papillae
- Filiform papillae
- Foliate papillae
- Circumvallate papillae
These papillae house the majority of taste buds.
True or False: Our visual senses play no role in measuring the appearance of food.
False
Visual senses, particularly color, significantly influence our decision to ingest or reject food.
How does the color of fresh meat influence consumer perception?
Red (oxyhaemoglobin) appears fresh, while greyish/brown (metmyoglobin) causes rejection.
Color changes in meat can affect consumer acceptance.
What factors can influence expectations about taste before tasting food?
- Branding
- Labeling
- Packaging
- Contextual effects
- Product-intrinsic cues
These factors create psychological expectations that can affect actual taste experience.
Fill in the blank: Colour creates a psychological expectation for a certain ______ that is often impossible to dislodge.
flavour
This indicates the strong association between color perception and flavor expectation.
What effect does the intensity of food coloring have on flavor expectation?
The more intensely colored a foodstuff is, the expectation is of more intense flavors.
This suggests that color can manipulate perceived flavor intensity.
What did Maga et al. (1974) find regarding food coloring and taste detection thresholds?
- Green coloring decreased sourness detection threshold
- Yellow reduced detection thresholds for sourness and sweetness
- Red coloring reduced bitterness detection threshold
These findings illustrate how color can influence taste perception.
True or False: Adding food coloring has been shown to consistently increase sweetness ratings.
True
Research indicates that food coloring can significantly enhance perceived sweetness.
What is the primary role of the sensory system in food choices?
Processing sensory information related to sight, smell, taste, and texture.
The sensory system guides preferences and influences food selection.
What are the two principles employed in color measurement?
- Colorimetry
- Spectrophotometry
These principles are used to measure color accurately in food products.
What is the primary focus of sensory food science?
Human sensory perceptions and affective responses to foods and beverages.
Sensory food science integrates food science with behavioral research.
What has been a significant trend regarding consumer attitudes toward visually imperfect food?
Acceptance of ‘wonky’ fruits and vegetables at a lower cost.
This trend reflects changing consumer perceptions about the aesthetics of food.
What significant contribution did Thurstone and Stevens make to sensory food science?
Described foundations for sensory food science in the 20th century.
Their work led to the development of testing procedures for various food commodities.
How do visual characteristics of food influence consumer behavior according to Bolos et al. (2021)?
They influence both expected and actual liking of food.
This highlights the importance of appearance in food consumption decisions.
What sensory modalities are involved in evaluating food?
- Sight
- Taste
- Hearing
- Touch
- Smell
Each sense plays a role in how food is perceived and chosen.
What are the three components of a sensory system?
- Sensory receptors
- Neural pathways
- Different parts of the brain
These components work together to process sensory information.
What are the five senses used when tasting food and drink?
Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
How does taste relate to smell?
Taste comes mostly from smell and what we call flavor is a combination of taste, smell, temperature, and texture.
What nutritional qualities does taste signal?
Taste signals the nutritional qualities of the food we are about to eat.
Why did our ancestors’ sensory systems adapt to identify certain food types?
Our human ancestors evolved in an environment low in salt, fat, and sugar.
What is the relationship between hearing and taste?
Hearing can affect taste by contributing to the enjoyment of eating through sounds like crackling, sizzling, and fizzing.
What does texture relate to in terms of food?
The texture of food relates to a sense of touch.
