Journal of Sensory Studies最新文献

Food losses and waste (FLW) is a global problem. Because household FLW is one of the biggest contributors to total FLW, strategies are being implemented to reduce per capita FLW in many countries. The present research contributed to this goal by investigating individual factors influencing self-reported household food waste in Australia. Using a web survey, data were obtained from 847 consumers. The average per capita food waste corresponded to 339 g/week and the median to 180 g/week. The most frequently wasted food categories were fresh vegetables and salads, fresh fruit, and bread. The percentage of participants reporting having disposed of these categories ranged between 45.9% and 65.9%. Although socio-demographic characteristics have been identified as relevant influencers of household food waste, the evidence is still inconclusive about the strength of their effects. Results from the present work identified significant effects of age and household size. For the former, the amount of per capita household food wasted tended to reduce with participants' age. Regarding the effect of household size, per capita food waste decreased with the number of people in the household. The present research also explored the effect of a series of psychological factors on the amount of food waste and five hypotheses derived based on the postulates of theories of consumer behavior were supported.

Practical applications

The association between the amount of food waste reported by participants and their intention to engage in food waste reduction behaviors and the positive effect of awareness on behavioral intention suggest the potential of communication campaigns to trigger behavioral change. Males and younger citizens should be targeted in such campaigns given their lower awareness compared with females and older citizens.

The Two-Out-of-Five method is one of the basic sensory discrimination methods. It is a special case of the ‘M+N’ method with M = 3 and N = 2. Three variants of the method are discussed in the paper: specified, unspecified, and unspecified with forgiveness. Analytical and simulation-derived psychometric functions for all three variants of the Two-Out-of-Five method are derived and produced. The performance of the method in both difference and similarity/equivalence tests are explored. It is shown that both difference and similarity/equivalence testing powers for the specified Two-Out-of-Five are larger than those for the 2-AFC and 3-AFC. Both difference and similarity/equivalence testing powers for the unspecified Two-Out-of-Five are larger than those for the Triangle and Duo-trio. Both difference and similarity/equivalence testing powers for the unspecified with forgiveness Two-Out-of-Five are larger than those for the conventional unspecified Two-Out-of-Five and unspecified Tetrads. Tables and R codes are presented and provided for estimations of the probability of correct response, P_c, Thurstonian discriminal distance $��\delta �$ or d', and the B value for estimating the variance of d' for the three variants of the Two-Out-of-Five method.

Practical Applications

The Two-Out-of-Five method is a powerful sensory discrimination method. However, this method has not been used widely in sensory and consumer research, partly since the method has not been explored adequately in the literature. This paper explores the Two-Out-of-Five method and shows that the method has potential for wide application. The Two-Out-of-Five method involves a larger number of samples (5) and sensory fatigue may be of concern. Hence, the method may not be suitable for taste and smell tests with strong stimuli. The method is particularly suitable for manual and visual inspection testing where sensory fatigue is of a lesser concern.

This international study aimed to investigate cross-modal associations between parosmic sensations and visual information, as well as explore potential cross-cultural differences; 393 parosmia patients from Argentina, Germany, Japan, and the Philippines participated. The patients were provided with a 63-color chart encompassing diverse hues and a 20-shape chart containing polygonal and curved shapes. Their task was to choose one color and one shape that matched their parosmic sensations. Results indicated that patients generally associated their parosmic sensations with brownish or greenish colors, darker colors, and polygonal or cloud-like shapes. Significant cross-cultural differences were observed, with Germans tending to select darker colors and edged shapes, while Japanese preferred brighter colors and curved shapes. These differences appeared to be related to the intensity of parosmia, which was higher among Germans. The study suggests a cross-modal relationship between olfaction and vision, while also highlighting the influence of cultural factors on parosmia perception.

Practical Applications

The findings of this study have practical implications for understanding and managing parosmia symptoms, particularly in multicultural settings. Healthcare professionals can use the cross-modal associations between olfactory sensations and visual information as a tool for assessment and diagnosis of parosmia patients. By considering the cultural background of patients, healthcare providers can better understand the nuances in their descriptions and interpretations of parosmic sensations. Additionally, the observed cross-cultural differences in color and shape associations can inform the development of standardized assessment tools that are sensitive to cultural variations. This knowledge can enhance communication between patients and healthcare professionals, leading to more accurate diagnosis, personalized treatment approaches, and improved patient outcomes. Furthermore, the study highlights the need for cultural sensitivity in odor-related research and the development of interventions for parosmia and other olfactory disorders.

Cosmetic product claims are subject to many regulations to ensure consumers are not misled. Claims must also be relevant to consumers, requiring robust and validated data to support them. Noncomparative claims are investigated utilizing a database of consumer reactions to a wide range of cosmetic products. A procedure based on product attribute ratings and related count based proportions was developed to set performance thresholds that were used to validate new claims. A consumer study was conducted to test the new procedure on lip balm products. Attributes were rated on Days 1 and 10 to establish product performance shifts during use, while the inclusion of two products helped establish if the new procedure could identify and validate the strengths of each product. Results from the database indicated that including count-based proportions in addition to mean ratings added robustness to the performance levels that could be used to validate noncomparative claims.

Practical Applications

The new ISO standard for sensory claims sets out guidance to help ensure that relevant, robust and validated data are used to substantiate product claims. Many companies have substantial consumer data collected in recent years that can help ensure claims research is designed using consumer relevant product attributes. Just as important is that these data provide valuable information about levels of performance required for a product to deliver against the product and brand promise. This paper provides a methodology that could be adapted by companies, either in the non-food or food sector, thus helping ensure new products can be launched and marketed with confidence.

Background

Desensitization in response to repetitive odorous stimulations is a common and well-investigated process, but it has been a matter of discussion in which way this process relates to odor valence. Our goal was to investigate changes of intensity and pleasantness induced by desensitization in odors in relation to their valence and concentration.

Materials and Methods

Using air-dilution olfactometry, 30 normosmic participants received two pleasant (phenylethylalcohol [PEA], mixture of pleasant odorants [mix-P]) and two unpleasant odors (hydrogen sulfide [H₂S], mixture of unpleasant odorants [mix-NP]). At the baseline (before desensitization), four different concentrations of each odor were presented randomly for 0.2 s, with 40 s inter-stimulus interval. During the desensitization procedure, the odor used was presented continuously for 15 s. Following an odor-free interval of 4 s the same odor was presented again, in the post-desensitization phase. Odor intensity and pleasantness were rated after presenting each stimulus in pre and post desensitization phases.

Results

At baseline, Mix-P was rated as pleasant and H₂S was rated as unpleasant, as expected, while PEA and mix-NP were rated as slightly pleasant or neutral, respectively. For intensity, desensitization was found for all odors regardless of hedonic tone, with the effect being more pronounced with PEA and mix-NP at lower concentrations. A decrease of pleasantness/unpleasantness (“affective habituation”) was present for the two lower concentrations of the pleasant mixture, while hedonic ratings of the unpleasant odors remained largely unchanged.

Conclusions

These results suggest that, in this model, desensitization in intensity between pleasant and unpleasant odors was similar and affective habituation only occurred for the most pleasant odor.

Practical Applications

Our study unraveled the link between odor desensitization and valence considering the concentration effect, where the intensity was decreased for the relatively “neutral” odors and pleasantness was habituated only for the pleasant odor. These results help to explain individual differences in the effects of olfactory loss and provide a promising perspective for personalized treatment for olfactory loss in clinics, for instanc