Influence of color on taste thresholds
Abstract
Increasing molar concentrations of sweet, sour, bitter and salty were evaluated in colorless and colored (red, green, yellow) water solutions by 28 untrained students. Green color statistically increased sweet taste threshold sensitivity while yellow color decreased taste sensitivity. Red color did not affect the taste sensitivity of sweet. In the case of sour, both yellow and green colors decreased sensitivity with red having no affect. Red color decreased bitter taste sensitivity with yellow and green color having no effect. No significant differences due to color affected salty taste sensitivity. Thus, psychological color association can alter reports of certain basic taste sensations.
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Red colour does not affect taste detection thresholds.
“Maga [36] did not observe any e ect of the colour red on taste detection thresholds.”
From The Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Sensory Factors in Sweetness Perception of Food and Beverages: A Review (2019) · cites this paper as [36]
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- Authors
- MAGA, J. A.
- Affiliations
- Colorado State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- MAGA, J. A.
- Venue
- Chemical Senses
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1974
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 115-119
- ISSN
- 0379-864X (ISSN-L)
- 1464-3553
- OpenAlex
- W2005419717
- Cited by
- 221
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 1.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Chemical Senses (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Sensory Analysis and Statistical Methods
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Multisensory perception and integration
- Keywords
- taste threshold, sweet taste, sour taste, bitter taste, salty taste, color associations
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