Researchers from Cornell University have used virtual reality (VR) to prove that perception of taste changes depending on location. The research team used VR headsets to change participants' scenery exposure three times while they ate the same cheese, and noted resulting changes in taste.
VR proves that your sense of taste changes depending on where you are eating.
"When we eat, we perceive not only just the taste and aroma of foods, we get sensory input from our surroundings - our eyes, ears, even our memories about surroundings," said Robin Dando, associate professor of food science and senior author of the study.
Fifty participants wore VR headsets while sampling blue cheese. The participants were shown three 360° video sceneries: a sensory booth, a park bench and a Cornell cow barn. The group was fed three samples of blue cheese. Participants were led to believe that the cheeses would be different, but they were, in fact, the same kind of blue cheese.
After eating the samples the volunteers rated the pungency of the cheese. The cheese that was consumed while viewing the barn scene was rated the most pungent of the three samples. As a control, the team also had the people rate the saltiness of the cheese, which was found to be the same each time.
The goal of the research was to find a cheap, easy-to-use method for food sensory evaluations and research on how people perceive taste.
“Our environs are a critical part of the eating experience. We consume foods in surroundings that can spill over into our perceptions of the food," said Dando.
The VR-based testing is convenient and flexible. This testing doesn’t require the researchers to bring the participants to a scene or even build an entirely new setting. Since the testing is based on setting, it is important to have an adaptable environment.
"This research validates that virtual reality can be used, as it provides an immersive environment for testing," said Dando. "Visually, virtual reality imparts qualities of the environment itself to the food being consumed - making this kind of testing cost-efficient."
The paper on this research was published in the Journal of Food Science.
