Penn State Researchers Have a Taste for Sensory Science

The crunch of a potato chip, the burn of a chili pepper, the cool creaminess of ice cream, and the smell of bacon are examples of sensory attributes that people experience when they eat food. The flavor, taste, texture, smell, and appearance of foods elicit positive and negative reactions in consumers, leading them to like, and establish preferences for, certain foods. Preferences drive the food choices that consumers make, so determining the attributes of foods that consumers prefer is a primar…