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Food Sensory Characteristics and Their Impact on Consumer Acceptance and...
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Food Sensory Characteristics and Their Impact on Consumer Acceptance and Behavior

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensory and Consumer Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 9 June 2026 | Viewed by 3395

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Paulo Henrique Machado de Sousa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Bloco 858, Pici Campus, Fortaleza 60440-900, Ceará, Brazil
Interests: sensory analysis; foods product develpment; food monitoring; consumer behavior

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sensory characteristics play a crucial role in shaping consumer perception, acceptance, and overall food choices. Attributes such as taste, aroma, texture, and appearance significantly influence purchasing decisions and eating behavior. In recent years, advances in sensory science have provided valuable insights into how consumers evaluate and respond to different food products, considering not only intrinsic properties but also psychological, cultural, and environmental factors. This Special Issue will explore the latest research on food sensory characteristics and their impact on consumer acceptance and behavior. We welcome the submission of original research articles and reviews addressing sensory evaluation methodologies, consumer preferences, cross-cultural studies, emotional and cognitive influences, and the development of innovative food products based on sensory optimization.

Prof. Dr. Paulo Henrique Machado de Sousa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sensory evaluation
  • consumer acceptance
  • food perception
  • sensory attributes
  • eating behavior
  • cross-cultural studies
  • emotional and cognitive influences
  • food innovation
  • sensory marketing
  • multisensory experience

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 3283 KB  
Article
The Influence of Food Colors on Emotional Perception and Consumer Acceptance: A Sensory and Emotional Profiling Approach in Gastronomy
by Jarbas Silva, Francisca Elisângela Lima, Clarisse Souza, Bruno Moreira-Leite and Paulo Sousa
Foods 2025, 14(22), 3818; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14223818 - 7 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1460
Abstract
Food color is a powerful determinant of consumer perception, influencing emotions, taste expectations, and hedonic responses. This study investigated how red, yellow, and blue plating colors affect emotional responses, acceptance, and taste associations. Emotional descriptors were defined through two focus groups (n = [...] Read more.
Food color is a powerful determinant of consumer perception, influencing emotions, taste expectations, and hedonic responses. This study investigated how red, yellow, and blue plating colors affect emotional responses, acceptance, and taste associations. Emotional descriptors were defined through two focus groups (n = 17) and validated in a consumer study with 295 participants (63.4% female, 35.3% male). Three color-dominant samples were evaluated online using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA), Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA), and a nine-point hedonic scale. The red sample achieved the highest acceptance (7.27), followed by blue (7.03) and yellow (6.82) (p < 0.05). Red was strongly associated with positive RATA terms such as pleasant (3.90), with pleasure (2.95), and satisfied, while blue elicited negative responses, including disgusted (72%) and no appetite (74%). Pearson correlations confirmed pleasant (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) and with pleasure (r = 0.58, p < 0.001) as key acceptance drivers, whereas disgusted (r = −0.29, p < 0.001) acted as a rejection cue. Correspondence analysis explained 68% of the variance, and Partial Least Squares Regression highlighted pleasant (VIP = 1.86) as the strongest predictor of liking. Tableware (≥4.25) and plating arrangement (≥4.31) also significantly shaped emotional perception. These results demonstrate that plating colors critically influence consumer emotions and acceptance, offering practical insights for multisensory gastronomy and food design. Overall, the study shows that plating color can be strategically leveraged in gastronomy and product development to enhance consumer emotions and acceptance, providing valuable guidance for multisensory food design. Although conducted using photographic stimuli and limited to Brazilian consumers, the study provides valuable insights into how plating color influences emotional and hedonic responses. These findings can support both academic research and professional practice, guiding chefs and food designers in developing multisensory gastronomic experiences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Sensory Characteristics and Their Impact on Consumer Acceptance and Behavior)
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11 pages, 1134 KB  
Article
Consumer Acceptability of Various Gluten-Free Scones with Rice, Buckwheat, Black Rice, Brown Rice, and Oat Flours
by Jihyuk Chae, Sukyung Kim, Jeok Yeon, Sohui Shin and Seyoung Ju
Foods 2025, 14(14), 2464; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14142464 - 14 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1302
Abstract
Due to consumer needs and the prevalence of gluten-related disorders such as celiac disease, the gluten-free food market is expanding rapidly and is expected to surpass USD 2.4 billion by 2036. The objective of this study was to substitute wheat flour with oat, [...] Read more.
Due to consumer needs and the prevalence of gluten-related disorders such as celiac disease, the gluten-free food market is expanding rapidly and is expected to surpass USD 2.4 billion by 2036. The objective of this study was to substitute wheat flour with oat, black rice, brown rice, buckwheat, and rice flours in the production of gluten-free scones, to assess consumer acceptability, and to identify factors contributing to consumer acceptability using check-all-that-apply questions. The 10 attributes of appearance, color, texture, grainy flavor, sweetness, familiar flavor, novelty, familiarity, moistness, and consistency exhibited statistically significant differences among the samples (p < 0.001). One hundred consumers evaluated 18 attributes using a nine-point hedonic scale, and all attributes demonstrated statistically significant differences across six samples (p < 0.001). The samples from buckwheat and wheat scored the highest in consumer acceptability. The results indicate a strong positive correlation between overall liking and purchase intention, with sensory attributes such as nutty flavor, cohesiveness, appearance, moistness, color, texture, and inner softness positively influencing consumer acceptability. The attributes affecting negatively were thick throat sensation, unique flavor, and stuffiness. This study is expected to provide data to aid in the development of better-tasting gluten-free products that meet customer and market needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Sensory Characteristics and Their Impact on Consumer Acceptance and Behavior)
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