Sensory food satisfaction in promoting healthy and sustainable eating behaviour

Satisfaction with food and sensory palatability play an important role in food choices and food
intake and thus the nutritional quality of our diets. Expectations and experience with different foods
contribute to the ways we make choices and compile our meals. Previous studies have looked at
food intake from homeostatic viewpoints but have overlooked sensory and affective influences that
may be utilised in changing food behaviours. The project aims therefore to study the impact of
sensory experiences from foods on perceived satisfaction and food intake both during
consumption and between eating occasions. In total four areas are addressed in the project to
improve the understanding of food satisfaction in eating behaviour: 1) the development of new
methods for measuring satisfaction with foods and meals including sensory palatability,
physiological factors and consumer responses; 2) the role of food composition and complexity
(texture, flavour and nutrient-density) on intake; 3) satisfaction with meals and food intake in
realistic eating situations; and 4) the estimation of the environmental and economic impact for food
categories where lower consumption may be achieved. The project will provide new insights in
positive and negative feedback in human eating behaviour from sensory, affective and nutritional
viewpoints, and thus providing the food industry and policy makers with new knowledge on foods
that fit with more sustainable lifestyles.