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Flavour sensory qualities and consumer perceptions – a comparison of sensory and brain activity responses to flavour components in different populations
Author(s) -
Patterson John,
Owen Caroline M.,
Frank Damian,
Smith Rebecca,
Cadusch Peter
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international journal of food science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.831
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1365-2621
pISSN - 0950-5423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2004.00807.x
Subject(s) - sensory system , flavour , psychology , perception , electroencephalography , brain activity and meditation , audiology , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , food science , medicine , biology
Summary This paper explores the relationship between odour responses of naïve consumers to different flavour components, by investigating the ability of sensory ratings and brain recording techniques to reveal differences in responses associated with differences in background and experience. Two groups of naïve consumers (Australian and Overseas students from Asian/South‐east Asian background; all untrained in sensory work) participated in sensory ratings and brain electrical activity [electroencephalogram (EEG)] recordings of responses to the odours of four flavour components. Results indicated no significant differences in rating responses between cultural groups, but did reveal significant brain electrical activity differences between cultural groups in response to para‐cresol , and a similar (nonsignificant) trend in responses to 2‐heptanone and dimethyltrisulphide . These results suggest that the application of EEG techniques to sensory analysis has the potential to provide physiological evidence of cultural differences in odour responsiveness that cannot always be discriminated by subjective reports.