Olfactory priming for eating behavior – The influence of non-conscious exposure to food odors on specific appetite, food preferences and intake

Paulina Morquecho-Campos,Kees De Graaf,Sanne Boesveldt

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104156

Paulina Morquecho-Campos, Kees De Graaf + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104156

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Abstract

Sensory food cues in our surroundings, such as odors, trigger decisions that may lead to (over)eating. These cues occur mainly outside of people’s awareness. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand the effect of (non-consciously exposure of) food odors on behavioral responses. Moreover, sensory-specific appetite suggests that food odor exposure may enhance appetite for products with similar properties in taste and calorie content, inferring that we can detect nutrient content of the food through our sense of smell. Our previous research showed that conscious exposure to macronutrient-related odors influenced specific appetite but not food preferences or intake. However, eating behavior responses may differ depending on the level of awareness of the odor cue. Therefore, in our current study, we aimed to determine the influence of non-conscious exposure to macronutrient-related odors on specific appetite, food preferences and food intake. 34 healthy, normal-weight and unrestrained Dutch females underwent four sessions where they were non-consciously exposed to odors representing food high in carbohydrates, protein and fat, and low-calorie foods. Eating behavior was assessed through a specific appetite questionnaire, a computer task on macronutrient and taste food preferences, and actual food intake by means of a salad bar which included toppings representing the different macronutrients. Results show that non-conscious exposure to macronutrient-signaling odors does not influence congruent appetite, food preferences nor food intake of a main meal. Follow-up research should focus on different odor exposure (intensity and exposure time) and outcomes measures to have a better understanding of olfactory priming on eating behavior.

Highlights

We are constantly exposed to sensory cues without being consciously aware of them: food advertisements by the road, nutritional advice on the radio, food aromas in the supermarket, etc
The alternative goal communicated to participants was that we aimed to investigate the role of hunger, food cue exposure, and satiety on abilities of logic reasoning by means of psychometric tasks
There was a significant interaction between odor category and con gruency (F (3,1588) = 2.76, p = 0.041; mixed model included liking of the food product, specific appetite before odor exposure, and general appetite score after the first odor exposure as covariates; Fig. 2)

Summary

Introduction

We are constantly exposed to sensory cues without being consciously aware of them: food advertisements by the road, nutritional advice on the radio, food aromas in the supermarket, etc These sensory cues can steer our eating behavior towards (un)healthy decisions (Koster, 2009; Stroebele & De Castro, 2004). Literature far suggests that non-conscious exposure to odors does not influence specific appetite (Proserpio, de Graaf, Laureati, Pagliarini, & Boesveldt, 2017). It may impact food choices (Chambaron, Chisin, Chabanet, Issanchou, & Brand, 2015; de Wijk & Zijlstra, 2012; Gaillet, Sulmont-Rosse, Issanchou, Chabanet, & Chambaron, 2013; GailletTorrent, Sulmont-Rosse, Issanchou, Chabanet, & Chambaron, 2014). E.g. in a series of studies, Gaillet et al have shown that starters and desserts containing fruit and vegetables were selected more frequently from a menu when participants were non-consciously exposed to melon and/or pear odor (Gaillet et al, 2013; Gaillet-Torrent et al, 2014)

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