Music attributes and the perception of orange juice

Abstract

There has been a recent growth of interest in understanding whether sound (specifically music) in the dining environment can enhance the taste perception of food and drink. Most of the previous research within the music-taste association utilized music soundtracks which were specifically designed to correspond to taste characteristics, for example, sweet taste/sweet music or sour taste/sour music. However, only a few studies have focused on the effect of each music attribute on aroma and taste. Moreover, freshness and thickness, as an oral somatosensory aspect, are concepts that lack the multisensory research of their sensory perception. This study investigated the effect of music on the taste of orange juice in a multisensory and controlled indoor environment laboratory (Sens i-Lab). In this current study, participants tasted orange juice samples while listening to eight music soundtracks and one silent sound. The music soundtracks were designed by combining two levels in each of three sonic attributes: Articulation (Legato, Staccato), Tempo (70 and 120 Bpm), and Pitch (Low, High). Overall, results showed that the variety in music attributes influences the orange juice about aroma, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, freshness, and thickness perceptions. The findings of this research can contribute to the development of multisensory design strategies for interactive design innovation in the context of food service. Moreover, the music stimuli in the dining experience can exalts the sensory perception of food and beverage as a part of creative gastronomic experience.