When the date passes: how “use by” and “best before” shape yoghurt safety perceptions and consumption intentions

A bitter taste in the mouth: The role of 6-n-propylthiouracil taster status and sex in food disgust sensitivity

Food disgust sensitivity influences the perception of food hazards: Results from longitudinal and cross-cultural studies

The relationship between disgust sensitivity and behaviour: A virtual reality study on food disgust

Cross-cultural validation of the short version of the Food Disgust Scale in ten countries

The influence of disgust sensitivity on self-reported food hygiene behaviour

The growing global population and rising demand for meat increasingly pressures the world's resources. Edible insects are a promising alternative protein source to unsustainable conventional meat. Despite this, disgust and neophobia are cited as significant barriers to the adoption of these novel foods in Western diets. The primary aim of this study was to assess the effects of providing three types of information — the taste, health, and sustainability benefits of entomophagy (i.e. the practice of eating insects) — on the willingness to try and hedonic response to insect-based foods among children. In addition, the differences between insects (buffalo worms and cricket) in unprocessed form and in various food applications were examined. Food disgust sensitivity, food neophobia, willingness to try, familiarity, and hedonic response to insect foods were measured. The implications of the appropriateness (as a food ingredient and to be raised as livestock) of two different insect species on acceptance were also explored. The data were collected through an online questionnaire administered in school classrooms from a sample of Danish children (n = 181). Results showed that communicating information about the benefits of entomophagy did not increase the willingness to try insect foods, irrespective of the type of information. Food neophobia was found to be a strong predictor of willingness to try insect foods, whereas food disgust sensitivity had no effect. There was no correlation between food disgust and food neophobia scores. Furthermore, certain types of insect products were found to be better liked than others (e.g. cookies over falafel). There was a species effect on hedonic response when presented as a whole insect although not when presented as processed products made with insect flour.

Impact of sustainability perception on consumption of organic meat and meat substitutes

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine food disgust sensitivity and assess the relationship between food disgust sensitivity and eating behaviours in adults. Material and Method: In this cross-sectional study, 215 adults were recruited and face-to-face interviews were used to gather data on the demographic information, Food Disgust Scale-short (FDS-short), Adult Picky Eating Questionnaire, and items involving rejection based on texture. Also, anthropometric measurements were taken. Results: The mean food disgust sensitivity short, adult picky eating questionnaire and texture-based rejection scores of participants were found to be 3.549 ± 0.745, 2.316 ± 0.472, 1.190 ± 0.782, respectively. Income and body mass index were negatively correlated with food disgust sensitivity, although age was positively. People with high food disgust sensitivity were pickier eaters and rejected foods with certain textures more often than those with low scores. Conclusion: Individuals' food disgust sensitivity should be considered as an important factor influencing picky eating or food rejection.

When designing a virtual agent, implementing empathy is a factor that can be considered to maximize the quality of human-agent interaction. However, in a globalized world, it is important to scrutinize whether users’ culture affects the perception of empathic agents. This study investigated the role of users’ cultural background in the perception of emotional nonverbal behaviors of a virtual assistant as empathic. It also examined which displayed emotional nonverbal behaviors affect different users’ perception of empathy. In an online study, 200 Iranian and German participants rated the responses of a virtual assistant on five items: friendliness, intelligence, empathy, trustworthiness, and helpfulness. The design of the study was a 2 between-subject factor (culture: Iranians vs. Germans) × 2 within-subject factor (context: sad situations vs. happy situations) × 4 within-subject factor (nonverbal behavior for each situation: 3 emotional vs. 1 neutral) mixed factorial design. The findings indicated that when the emotional nonverbal behaviors are present, Iranians rated the agent as more empathic, trustworthy, and helpful. Also, while Iranians perceived a wide array of nonverbal behaviors as empathic (Smile, Head Nod plus Smile, Head Nod, Sad Face, Head Down, and Dropping the Arms plus Sad Face), German participants only assessed Head Nod as empathic.KeywordsEmpathic agentsCultural differencesNonverbal behavior

How people's food disgust sensitivity shapes their eating and food behaviour

Seemingly insignificant daily practices, such as sugar usage in tea, can have a great accumulated impact on societal issues, such as obesity. That is why these behaviours are often the target of nudge interventions. However, when these behaviours are performed frequently they may turn into habits that are difficult to change. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a portion size nudge has the potential to work in accordance with (instead of against) existing habits. Specifically, it was tested whether a portion size nudge would be more effective in reducing the amount of sugar added to tea, when people have a strong habit of adding a fixed amount of teaspoons of sugar to a cup of tea. The study (N = 123) had a mixed factorial design with teaspoon size (reduced size vs. control) as a within-subject factor, and habit disruption context condition (hot tea vs. cold tea) as a between-subjects factor. A paired t-test indicated that this nudge reduced sugar intake on average by 27% within subjects. When the context allowed for automatic enactment of the habit, the effectiveness of this nudge was moderated by habit strength. Surprisingly, the nudge effect was actually less pronounced when people had a strong habit. Implications for effective nudge interventions are discussed.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effects of time pressure on decision-making and visual search behavior among college basketball players with different levels of expertise.MethodsFollowing the expert–novice paradigm, a total of 40 male participants were recruited, including 20 trained basketball athletes and 20 non-athlete college students. A 2 × 2 mixed factorial design was employed, with athletic expertise (athletes vs. non-athletes) as the between-subjects factor and time pressure (present vs. absent) as the within-subjects factor. Participants were presented with video clips from real basketball games. In the time pressure condition, they were required to make a decision—based on the actions of actual players in the video—within a limited time frame and complete a stress perception questionnaire. In the no time pressure condition, no time constraints were imposed. Decision-making performance (response time and accuracy) and eye-tracking metrics were recorded and analyzed.Results(1) The expert group demonstrated significantly faster response times and higher decision-making accuracy compared to the novice group. (2) In terms of eye-tracking metrics, the expert group exhibited fewer fixations but significantly more saccades and longer fixation durations than the novice group. These findings suggest that experts engage in more focused and efficient visual processing with deeper cognitive engagement. (3) Analysis of fixation distribution and saccade trajectories revealed that experts concentrated more on key informational cues, with tighter and more centralized visual attention patterns, whereas novices showed more scattered and unfocused gaze behaviors.Conclusion(1) Significant differences in visual search strategies were observed between athletes of different skill levels. Experts displayed more efficient search patterns, quicker responses, and superior decision-making performance. (2) Under time pressure, experts maintained high decision accuracy despite faster response times, and their eye movement patterns remained stable, indicating strong adaptability to stress. (3) In contrast, novices showed a marked decline in accuracy and visual search efficiency under time pressure, suggesting weaker cognitive control in high-stress situations.

The endogenous opioid system (EOS) is a neuromodulator of taste, and nicotine can modify both EOS signaling and taste perception. Understanding how nicotine interacts with EOS-driven taste perception is important for dietary guidance and smoking-cessation strategies. In this study, we tested whether opioid blockade with naltrexone vs. placebo differentially affects taste thresholds, intensity, and pleasantness in non-smokers, ad-lib smokers, and smokers in short-term withdrawal. A mixed factorial design was used; with drug (placebo vs. naltrexone) as a within-subject factor and smoking status (non-smoker, ad-lib smoker, withdrawal/abstaining) as a between-subjects factor. Each participant attended two sessions, receiving a placebo in one session and naltrexone in the other (counterbalanced). During each session participants completed (1) a sweet and bitter detection threshold test, and (2) suprathreshold intensity and pleasantness ratings for sweet, salty, sour, umami, and water. Results indicated that neither sweet nor bitter detection thresholds differed by drug or smoking groups. Among ad-lib smokers, however, suprathreshold intensity for sweet, salty, and sour tastes was significantly decreased under naltrexone vs. placebo, whereas pleasantness ratings remained unchanged. No drug effect on either intensity or pleasantness was observed in non-smokers and withdrawal smokers. The study’s results indicate a nicotine-related interaction with the EOS that reduces sensory gain but does not impact hedonic evaluation regarding taste perception

Effects of social contexts on overweight and normal-weight children's food intake

Following commercialization of curved displays, foldable and rollable displays are under development. The rollable display should be unrolled first using a pulling motion to access the screen. The ...