Sweeter together? Assessing the combined influence of product‐related and contextual factors on perceived sweetness of fruit beverages
Abstract
Abstract It is well‐known that multiple sensory cues influence flavor perception and liking. The present study aimed to combine and compare the relative influences of product‐related and contextual factors on taste perception and liking, with a focus on the perception of sweetness. Participants tasted samples of the same base fruit beverage with one of three different levels of added aroma, while the contextual cues (either visual or auditory) were displayed simultaneously using iPads. The results revealed that both added aroma and background music significantly influenced participants' sweetness ratings, with a medium level of added aroma enhancing sweetness significantly as compared to no added aroma, and with the sweet‐congruent soundtrack enhancing perceived sweetness significantly as compared to the bitter‐congruent soundtrack. Moreover, there was a potentially additive effect from the combination of aroma and soundtrack. These results are discussed in terms of potential mechanisms underlying multisensory flavor perception. Practical applications Consumers are nearly always exposed to a multisensory environment whenever they consume food and drink. It is therefore important to acknowledge that, beyond the food itself, what people happen to be exposed to in the environment while eating or drinking can influence their multisensory flavor experiences as well. These results are of relevance for those working on understanding a theoretical model of human sweetness perception, as well as those working on the design of healthier, sugar‐reduced food products. Indeed, the knowledge that multiple sensory cues can, at least under the appropriate conditions, work in conjunction to deliver a greater modulation of perceived taste will allow designers to come up with more effective sugar‐reduced products without reducing consumer satisfaction. Moreover, the increasing prevalence of sensory and augmented reality applications means that manufacturers can now incorporate external visual and auditory content as part of the total multisensory product experience.
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The enhancement effects of aroma and soundtrack are independent of each other, and their combined influence is greater than the influence of aroma or soundtrack assessed individually, with a linearly additive relationship.
“An interaction analysis revealed that the enhancement e ect of aroma and soundtrack were independent of each other, and the combined influence of aroma and soundtrack appeared to be greater than the influence of aroma or soundtrack when assessed individually. In other words, there appeared to be a linearly additive relationship between the enhancement e ect of aroma and the enhancement e ect of”
From The Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Sensory Factors in Sweetness Perception of Food and Beverages: A Review (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
Both added aroma and the presence of a soundtrack exhibit significant sweetness enhancement effects in apple-elderflower nectars.
“The results revealed that both added aroma and the presence of the soundtrack exhibited significant sweetness enhancement e ects.”
From The Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Sensory Factors in Sweetness Perception of Food and Beverages: A Review (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
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Wang, Q. J., Mielby, L. A., Junge, J. Y., Bertelsen, A. S., Kidmose, U., Spence, C., & Byrne, D. V. (2019) · Foods · doi:10.3390/foods8060211 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
“…Schifferstein and Verlegh (1996) [44] Smell Intrinsic (Retronasal) Strawberry odour, lemon odour No odour Sucrose solution 150 mm sweetness scale 25% Wang et al. (2019) [27] Smell Intrinsic Pomegranate aroma No added aroma Apple elderflower juice 1–9 rating sweetness 5% Biggs et al.…”
BackgroundSelf-citation
- Authors
- Wang, Q. J., Mielby, L. A., Thybo, A. K., Bertelsen, A. S., Kidmose, U., Spence, C., & Byrne, D. V.
- Affiliations
- Aarhus University (DK)
- Research and Development Rynkeby Foods A/S Ringe Denmark
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science and Technology Aarhus University Aarslev Denmark
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Wang, Qian Janice
- Venue
- Journal of Sensory Studies
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2019-02-22
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 3
- ISSN
- 0887-8250 (ISSN-L)
- 1745-459X
- OpenAlex
- W2918134640
- Cited by
- 49
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5
- FWCI
- 4.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Sensory Studies (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Innovation Fund Denmark (6150‐00037B)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Sensory Analysis and Statistical Methods
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Multisensory perception and integration
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Keywords
- perceived sweetness, fruit beverages, background music, auditory cues, visual cues, taste liking
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