Reading Food Experiences from the Face: Effects of Familiarity and Branding of Soy Sauce on Facial Expressions and Video-Based RPPG Heart Rate

Predicting Perceived Hedonic Ratings through Facial Expressions of Different Drinks

Previous studies have established the utility of facial expressions as an objective assessment approach for determining the hedonics (overall pleasure) of food and beverages. This study endeavors to validate the conclusions drawn from preceding research, illustrating that facial expressions prompted by tastants possess the capacity to forecast the perceived hedonic ratings of these tastants. Facial expressions of 29 female participants, aged 18-55 years, were captured using a digital camera during their consumption of diverse concentrations of solutions representative of five basic tastes. Employing the widely employed facial expression analysis application FaceReader, the facial expressions were meticulously assessed, identifying seven emotions (surprise, happiness, scare, neutral, disgust, sadness, and anger) characterized by scores ranging from 0 to 1-a numerical manifestation of emotional intensity. Simultaneously, participants rated the hedonics of each solution, utilizing a scale spanning from -5 (extremely unpleasant) to +5 (extremely pleasant). Employing a multiple linear regression analysis, a predictive model for perceived hedonic ratings was devised. The model's efficacy was scrutinized by assessing emotion scores from 11 additional taste solutions, sampled from 20 other participants. The anticipated hedonic ratings demonstrated robust alignment and agreement with the observed ratings, underpinning the validity of earlier findings even when incorporating diverse software and taste stimuli across a varied participant base. We discuss some limitations and practical implications of our technique in predicting food and beverage hedonics using facial expressions.

Remote sensory assessment of beer quality based on visual perception of foamability and biometrics compared to standard emotional responses from affective images

The social isolation settings derived from the COVID-19 pandemic affected the standard sensory evaluation techniques used in the food and beverage industry. This situation forced companies and researchers to assess other options to continue conducting these tests in remote contactless locations. This study aimed to evaluate two sets of samples (i) six images from Geneva affective picture database (GAPED) and (ii) six videos of beer pouring using traditional self-reported sensory data and emotional response from consumers biometrics. Specifically, four research questions (RQ) arouse from this study: RQ1: are there significant differences between GAPED images and beers in unconscious and self-reported responses from consumers?, RQ2: are there any correlations between subconscious and self-reported responses from consumers when assessing beer?, RQ3: can consumers differentiate positive, neutral and negative images based on subconscious and self-reported responses?, RQ4: are there any relationships between subconscious and self-reported responses when assessing GAPED images and beers, and how are samples associated with variables? A total of 113 Mexican beer consumers participated in the virtual sensory session using an online videoconference software to record videos of participants during the session. Results showed there were significant differences (p < 0.05) between samples, especially for self-reported responses (RQ1), and several correlations between variables, such as positive correlations between the perceived quality of beers and happy emoji (r = 0.84), and negative correlation with confused emoji (r = -0.97; RQ2). Besides, using the proposed methods, consumers were able to correctly differentiate through elicited emotions the positive, neutral and negative GAPED images (RQ3). Regarding RQ4, several relationships were found between variables in both GAPED images and beers; however, it was found that different emotions were elicited depending of the stimuli used. The proposed method showed to be a reliable and practical option to conduct visual and potentially tasting sensory tests in isolation and recruit participants from different countries without travelling to collect their responses.

Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water

The underlying factors of the purchase decision process of bottled mineral water have been a less studied area. The typically related attributes of consumer judgement in the case of low involvement can vary widely, ranging from price sensitivity to habits. However, assessing the role of brand reputation and trust from a sensory perception perspective is not a common approach. This paper examines the impact of trust on consumer value judgements for a frequently consumed beverage such as mineral water. Combining trust and sensory attributes with the Expectation–Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) framework provides insights into the weight of taste, trust and reputation in product evaluation. A tasting experiment was carried out using a representative systematic random sampling method. A mixed method was applied; EDT was used to analyze quantitative data and grounded theory methodology was performed in the case of qualitative data. Results indicate complete assimilation for the most preferred brand and negative contrast for less well-known brands. It can be stated that the applied methodology is suitable as a certain kind of trust measurement and also can function particularly well as a reinforcement and complement to other methodologies (e.g., neuromarketing methods). This study suggests that brand names positively influence value judgment. Origin bounded brands compared to imported brands can help companies mitigate trust issues in developing countries as they convey a particular reputation, which helps reinforce trust.

What is the link between personality and food behavior?

A number of personality characteristics have been linked to various aspects of taste (gustation), trigeminal, and olfactory perception. In particular, personality traits have been linked to olfactory sensory thresholds and olfactory identification abilities, as well as to the sensory-discriminative aspects of taste/flavour perception. To date, much of the research in this area has focused on Sensation Seeking (including Experience Seeking, and Openness to Novel Experiences), with the latter being linked to a preference for spicy, and possibly also crunchy, sour, and bitter foods/drinks. Novelty-seeking has also been linked to a preference for salty foods, while anxious individuals appear to enjoy a much narrower range of foods. A bidirectional link has also been documented between taste and mood. Certain of the personality-based differences in taste/flavour perception and food behaviour have been linked to differences in circulating levels of neurotransmitters and hormones in both normal and clinical populations. Taken together, therefore, the evidence that has been published to date supports a number of intriguing connections between personality traits and taste perception/food behaviour.

Novel Techniques to Measure the Sensory, Emotional, and Physiological Responses of Consumers toward Foods

Sensory science is an evolving field that has been incorporating technologies from different disciplines [...].