New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Seeing pictures of food affects taste perception

Date:
March 14, 2012
Source:
Public Library of Science
Summary:
Just looking at images of food can change our taste experience, according to new research.
Share:
FULL STORY

Just looking at images of food can change our taste experience, according to research published Mar. 14 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.

The authors of the study, led by Johannes le Coutre of the Nestlé Research Center in Switzerland, found that participants reported tastes to be more pleasant when preceded by images of high-calorie foods, such as pizza or pastry, as compared to low-calorie foods like watermelon or green beans.

The researchers conducted neuroimaging studies that identified previously unknown brain mechanisms of visual-gustatory sensory interactions involved with food enjoyment.

Taken together, the study highlights the importance of visual food appeal as one determinant for nutritional reward.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Public Library of Science. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Kathrin Ohla, Ulrike Toepel, Johannes le Coutre, Julie Hudry. Visual-Gustatory Interaction: Orbitofrontal and Insular Cortices Mediate the Effect of High-Calorie Visual Food Cues on Taste Pleasantness. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (3): e32434 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032434

Cite This Page:

Public Library of Science. "Seeing pictures of food affects taste perception." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 March 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314172256.htm>.
Public Library of Science. (2012, March 14). Seeing pictures of food affects taste perception. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314172256.htm
Public Library of Science. "Seeing pictures of food affects taste perception." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314172256.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES