Food decision-making under time pressure

The neural model of front-of-package label processing

Front-of-package (FOP) labels have been adopted in many countries to battle the obesity pandemic and its serious health consequences by providing clearer and easier-to-understand nutrition and health information. The effectiveness of FOP labels has been generally confirmed, with some contextual and individual factors modifying their effectiveness. Existing theories (eg, the dual-process theory) and shifting priorities for self-control, provide some explanations for the FOP label effect. However, the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the processing of FOP labels remain unknown. Here, a new model, namely, the neural model of FOP label processing, has been proposed to fill this gap by providing an integrated account of FOP label processing while simultaneously considering multiple important situational and individual factors in the same framework. This neural model is built on the core eating network (ie, the ventral reward pathway and the dorsal control pathway) for food cue processing and actual food consumption. The new model explains how FOP labels may facilitate attention, influence the core eating network, and thus alter food choices. It also demonstrates how motivation may modify FOP label processing in 2 ways: affecting attention (the indirect way) and changing the process of evaluating the food (the direct way). It further explains how some contextual and individual factors (eg, ego depletion, time pressure, and health knowledge) influence the process. Thus, the neural model integrates evidence from behavioral, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging studies into a single, integrated account, deepening understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms of FOP label processing. This model might facilitate consensus on the most successful FOP label. Moreover, it could provide insights for consumers, food industries, and policy makers and encourage healthy eating behaviors.

A value accumulation account of unhealthy food choices: testing the influence of outcome salience under varying time constraints

People often engage in unhealthy eating despite having an explicit goal to follow a healthy diet, especially under certain conditions such as a lack of time. A promising explanation from the value accumulation account is that food choices are based on the sequential consideration of the values of multiple outcomes, such as health and taste outcomes. Unhealthy choices may result if taste is considered before health. We examined whether making a health outcome more salient could alter this order, thereby leading to more healthy choices even under time pressure. Two studies examined the time-dependent effect of outcome values and salience on food choices. Participants first completed priming trials on which they rated food items on healthiness (health condition), tastiness (taste condition), or both healthiness and tastiness (control condition). They then completed blocks of binary choice trials between healthy and tasty items. The available response time was manipulated continuously in Study 1 (N = 161) and categorically in Study 2 (N = 318). As predicted, results showed that the values of health and taste outcomes influenced choices and that priming led to more choices in line with the primed outcomes even when time was scarce. We did not obtain support for the prediction that the priming effect is time-dependent in the sense that primed outcomes are considered before non-primed outcomes. Together, these findings suggest that increasing the value and salience of a health outcome may be effective ways to increase healthy choices, even under poor conditions such as time pressure.

SENSORY PROFILE OF 3 IN 1 INSTANT COFFEE USING EMOTIONAL-SENSORY MAPPING, FLASH PROFILE, AND CATA (CHECK-ALL-THAT-APPLY) METHODS

Three in one instant coffee is popular among university students. A variety brands of such instant coffee are available on the market. However, the literature on the sensory aspects of the instant coffee is rather limited slim. The project aimed to test three-in-one instant coffee sachets for their sensory characteristics. Two methods, CATA (Attributes and Emotional Mapping) and Flash Profile (extension of Free Choice Profiling) were employed to generate the attribute profiles and emotional dashboard. Sixty IPB University students were selected as panelists. Sensory attributes terminologies and their relation to emotion were generated using Focus Group Discussion among instant coffee heavy drinker. Profile of coffee D showed a creamy texture, while sweetness and milky was dominant when it came to coffee B and coffee C. The creaminess in coffee G was strongly related to feelings of happiness in a consumer. In addition, the sweet and milky taste and flavor in coffee B was seen as a relaxing and luxurious feeling. A Preference Mapping was constructed, and it showed that sweetness, milky, and creaminess improved the liking of the student consumers that make coffee C the most preferred brand among the panelists. In short, the use of flash profiles and check-all-it-dilute/CATA (attributes and emotional) equipped with preference mapping can provide emotional attributes and dashboards that will be important to understand products more than just consumer liking.

Self-Reported Eating Speed Is Associated with Indicators of Obesity in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Eating speed (ES) as a dietary behaviour has become a widely discussed factor for weight management and obesity. This study analysed the relationship between ES and anthropometric indicators of obesity, including BMI and waist circumference (WC) in adults. A search conducted of PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct and Scopus found six longitudinal studies and fifteen cross-sectional studies published for further analysis. A quality assessment was performed with the MINORS checklist. Eight studies were included in the meta-analysis and almost all reviewed studies showed that ES was associated with BMI, and non-fast eaters had significantly lower BMI than fast eaters. Therefore, it was assumed that slowing down the ES may be an effective strategy for weight management and lowering obesity risk. There was also an association between WC and ES. Assessment of eating speed can be included in nutrition surveys to analyse obesity risk. More broadly, research is also needed to establish a validated and standardised methodology to determine eating speed. Further research needs to examine the links between eating speed, obesity, ethnicity, sex, food culture and chronic diseases.