How Sensory Perception Guides the Choices that People Make

Sensory Perception and Food Choices

Sensory perception refers to how our senses (sight, taste, smell, touch, sound) influence the way we perceive and respond to food.
Sensory perception plays a crucial role in shaping our individual food preferences.

Visual Perception of Food

We often “eat with our eyes” first. The appearance of a dish can greatly influence our desire to eat it.
Colour: Bright, natural colours are generally associated with fresh and nutrient-rich food. On the other hand, dull or unusual colours may be perceived as unappetizing.
Form: Well-presented food feels more appetizing. Consider shape, portion size, and how food is arranged on the plate.

Taste Perception

Taste is a key driver of food preference and choice. The five basic tastes are sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami.
People have different levels of sensitivity to these tastes, and will naturally prefer foods that align with their sensitive taste spectrum.

Olfactory Perception (Smell)

Smell hugely contributes to how we perceive taste. In fact, a large part of what we think of as “taste” actually comes from our sense of smell.
Smell can often trigger strong emotional reactions, memories, and salivation - all which influence our food choices.

Tactile Perception (Touch)

Texture refers to how a food feels, both when touched and when eaten. This is sensed by the touch receptors on our hands and within our mouths.
We make judgments about texture (crunchy, smooth, rough) before a food even enters our mouth, and the results greatly affect our overall acceptance or rejection of a food.

Auditory Perception (Sound)

Sound can have a surprising influence on our food choices. The sound food makes when we eat it (crunchiness, sizzling) is a significant part of our overall sensory experience.
Sound plays a huge role in the perception of food freshness and quality.

Interaction of Senses

Interaction of all five senses contributes to the multisensory experience of eating. None of the senses work independently and all can significantly influence human food choices.

Remember, understanding how sensory perception guides food choices can help in creating dishes that are not only nutritious but also appealing and pleasurable to eat. This is extremely useful within the culinary industry and for personal dietary choices.