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Individual Differences in Sensory Perception with Implications for Food Choice,...
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Individual Differences in Sensory Perception with Implications for Food Choice, Eating Behavior, and Health

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025 | Viewed by 4765

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alissa A. Nolden

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Science, College of Natural Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
Interests: sensory science; consumer science; sustainability; individual differences; taste genetics; taste biology; chemosensory; data science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Foods’ Sensory and Consumer Science Section is focused on individual differences in perception driving variability in food-related outcomes, including liking, intake, perceptions, behavior, etc. Researchers in the field of sensory science, food science, nutrition, psychology, neuroscience, and other related, cross-disciplinary fields are encouraged to submit to this Special Issue.

We are seeking original research and reviews highlighting new advances in this area that support our understanding of sensory perception and healthy eating.

Dr. Alissa A. Nolden
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 science
  • consumer
  • culture and environment
  • qualitative and quantitative research
  • health and wellness
  • across a lifespan
  • eating habits
  • emotions and psychology
  • food preference
  • sensory perception
  • food choice
  • food intake
  • food and health

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 4325 KiB  
Article
Decoding Global Palates: Unveiling Cross-Cultural Flavor Preferences Through Online Recipes
by Qing Zhang, David Elsweiler and Christoph Trattner
Foods 2025, 14(8), 1411; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14081411 - 18 Apr 2025
Viewed by 214
Abstract
Navigating cross-cultural food choices is complex, influenced by cultural nuances and various factors, with flavor playing a crucial role. Understanding cultural flavor preferences helps individuals make informed food choices in cross-cultural contexts. We examined flavor differences across China, the US, and Germany, as [...] Read more.
Navigating cross-cultural food choices is complex, influenced by cultural nuances and various factors, with flavor playing a crucial role. Understanding cultural flavor preferences helps individuals make informed food choices in cross-cultural contexts. We examined flavor differences across China, the US, and Germany, as well as consistent flavor preference patterns using online recipes from prominent recipe portals. Distinct from applying traditional food pairing theory, we directly mapped ingredients to their individual flavor compounds using an authorized database. This allowed us to analyze cultural flavor preferences at the molecular level and conduct machine learning experiments on 25,000 recipes from each culture to reveal flavor-based distinctions. The classifier, trained on these flavor compounds, achieved 77% accuracy in discriminating recipes by country in a three-class classification task, where random choice would yield 33.3% accuracy. Additionally, using user interaction data on appreciation metrics from each recipe portal (e.g., recipe ratings), we selected the top 10% and bottom 10% of recipes as proxies for appreciated and less appreciated recipes, respectively. Models trained within each portal discriminated between the two groups, reaching a maximum accuracy of 66%, while random selection would result in a baseline accuracy of 50%. We also explored cross-cultural preferences by applying classifiers trained on one culture to recipes from other cultures. While the cross-cultural performance was modest (specifically, a max accuracy of 54% was obtained when predicting food preferences ofthe USusers with models trained on the Chinesedata), the results indicate potential shared flavor patterns, especially between Chinese and US recipes, which show similarities, while German preferences differ. Exploratory analyses further validated these findings: we constructed ingredient networks based on co-occurrence relationships to label recipes as savory or sweet, and clustered the flavor profiles of compounds as sweet or non-sweet. These analyses showed opposing trends in sweet vs. non-sweet/savory appreciation between US and German users, supporting the machine learning results. Although our findings are likely to be influenced by biases in online data sources and the limitations of data-driven methods, they may still highlight meaningful cultural differences and shared flavor preferences. These insights offer potential for developing food recommender systems that cater to cross-cultural contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Individual Differences in Sensory Perception with Implications for Food Choice, Eating Behavior, and Health)
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16 pages, 1436 KiB  
Article
Drivers and Barriers for Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives Adoption: Insights from Diverse Consumer Clusters
by Marloes D. Schimmel, Jonas Yde Junge, Niki Alexi, Glenn Birksø Hjorth Andersen, Marianne Hammershøj, Mette Hadberg Løbner and Ulla Kidmose
Foods 2025, 14(7), 1162; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14071162 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 308
Abstract
The transition to plant-based diets is advocated as a consumption measure to mitigate the environmental impacts of animal-based food production. Understanding the drivers and barriers to consumption can guide the formulation of tailored strategies for advancing plant-based alternatives in markets. This study investigated [...] Read more.
The transition to plant-based diets is advocated as a consumption measure to mitigate the environmental impacts of animal-based food production. Understanding the drivers and barriers to consumption can guide the formulation of tailored strategies for advancing plant-based alternatives in markets. This study investigated the principal drivers and barriers influencing the adoption of plant-based cheese alternatives among Danish consumers (n = 550) through an online survey. Participants were clustered based on the sensory (flavor and texture) cues using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering, resulting in four consumer groups: (C1) consumers who prefer plant-based cheese alternatives to closely mimic both the flavor and texture of dairy cheese (n = 172); (C2) Consumers who prefer dairy-like flavor but are open to plant-based textures (n = 141); (C3) Consumers who prefer dairy-like texture but are open to novel flavor (n = 146); and (C4) Consumers who seek variety and novelty in both flavor and texture (n = 91). The results showed that consumer preferences for flavor and texture cues are important factors in shaping their motivations and barriers toward plant-based cheese. Specifically, product availability emerged as a significant barrier for those preferring dairy-like alternatives, while sensory perception and convenience were less influential for consumers who favor novelty. Notably, the consumer clusters did not show significant statistical differences in dietary pattern types, such as omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians, or vegans. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing effective strategies to promote plant-based cheese alternatives and cater to varying consumer needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Individual Differences in Sensory Perception with Implications for Food Choice, Eating Behavior, and Health)
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15 pages, 8532 KiB  
Article
Co-Creating Snacks: A Cross-Cultural Study with Mediterranean Children Within the DELICIOUS Project
by Elena Romeo-Arroyo, María Mora, Olatz Urkiaga, Nahuel Pazos, Noha El-Gyar, Raquel Gaspar, Sara Pistolese, Angelique Beaino, Giuseppe Grosso, Pablo Busó, Juancho Pons and Laura Vázquez-Araújo
Foods 2025, 14(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14020159 - 7 Jan 2025
Viewed by 837
Abstract
Mediterranean diet adherence has been decreasing during the last few decades, and non-appropriate snacking habits have also been identified among Mediterranean children and adolescents. To co-create new snacks and to explore children’s interests and preferences, a multi-method approach was used in the present [...] Read more.
Mediterranean diet adherence has been decreasing during the last few decades, and non-appropriate snacking habits have also been identified among Mediterranean children and adolescents. To co-create new snacks and to explore children’s interests and preferences, a multi-method approach was used in the present study, including some qualitative and quantitative research phases. Conducted in collaboration with schools in Lebanon, Egypt, Portugal, Italy, and Spain, different snack prototypes were designed and tested in a Mediterranean cross-cultural context. The results showed significant differences among countries in snacking preferences and general food-related attitudes. Italian children exhibited higher levels of neophobia, resulting in lower acceptance of all proposed snacks. Some sensory and contextual insights were collected, such as Egyptian children favoring sweet and crunchy textures and “At school”, “With my friends”, and “As a morning/afternoon snack” being identified as linked to snack acceptance in some countries. The present study underscores the value of co-creation processes involving children to address non-recommended dietary patterns, highlighting the critical role of sensory properties, cultural differences, and contextual factors in designing healthy snacks that meet the Mediterranean diet’s principles but are highly appreciated by the young segment of the population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Individual Differences in Sensory Perception with Implications for Food Choice, Eating Behavior, and Health)
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13 pages, 265 KiB  
Article
Why Are Foodies Active on Social Network Services? An Exploratory Study on Foodies’ Influence on Social Media
by Jin A Jang, EunJung Lee and Hyosun Jung
Foods 2024, 13(21), 3476; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13213476 - 30 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2466
Abstract
As social media continues to gain traction in the food industry, this study explored how cooking and dining-out behaviors and social media use differ depending on the foodie tendencies of consumers, particularly Korean Millennial and Gen Z consumers. Additionally, this study considered the [...] Read more.
As social media continues to gain traction in the food industry, this study explored how cooking and dining-out behaviors and social media use differ depending on the foodie tendencies of consumers, particularly Korean Millennial and Gen Z consumers. Additionally, this study considered the effect of foodie tendencies on active social media usage. Based on the Foodie Index, two groups were identified: high and low. The high group scored higher than the low group on foodie knowledge and spending, food interest, and time commitment. Comparison of the food, cooking, and dining-out behaviors of both groups revealed a significantly greater frequency of cooking and a higher proportion of using their own ingredients, even when dining alone, in the high group. Analysis of social media use characteristics also demonstrated significantly higher scores for the high group than the low group in terms of the degree of use, average daily usage time, checking frequency, and use of social media recommendations when cooking and purchasing food. Furthermore, foodie inclination significantly influenced active usage behavior, as users shared informative content and frequently posted articles and photos. This study found that foodies play a leading role in producing food-related information by actively using and sharing social media. Considering this ripple effect, consumers’ foodie tendencies can be used as an important measure in food marketing-related research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Individual Differences in Sensory Perception with Implications for Food Choice, Eating Behavior, and Health)
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