Besides the crunch of a pickle and the squish of grapes, we often do not associate sound with our eating experiences.  But recent studies show sound has an effect on our flavor perception… an effect that could even foster healthier eating habits!

Sonic Seasoning
We have written about the effects of appearance, smell, genetics, and even emotions on our ability to taste flavor.  But a recent study from Oxford University introduces sound to the multi-sensual experience of eating.

A recent article in The Telegraph highlights the work of researchers at Oxford University who studied the ways sound increases the sense of taste.  You may know it as “Sonic Seasoning,” a process where we trick the brain into perceiving that a flavor is saltier, sweeter, or more sour than it actually is.

High Pitched Sweetness
Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford says that tempos and instruments do seem to matter. His research team reports that you can prime the brain for sweetness by playing a high-pitched sound.  “Perhaps you could think about reducing the sugar in food by changing the music in the background,” he writes.

In 2011, Professor Spence tested this theory in partnership with Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck Restaurant. He discovered that diners believed cinder toffee tasted sweeter when listening to “sweet” sounds and more bitter when listening to “bitter” sounds.

Bitter Notes
While “sweet sounds” consist of high-pitched notes, “bitter sounds” contain low-pitched sounds such as the notes played by brass instruments.  Professor Spence believes that the sound of “bitter” may be hard-wired into the human brain from the noise of gagging that we make when rejecting a bad tasting food.

In the 2011 experiment, the bitter sound recording was made from a single trombone note mixed with the rumble of car traffic through a tunnel. The sweet sound recording was created from the reverb of a grand piano.

Listen to Sonic Sounds courtesy of The Telegraph. 

Application of Study
It’s unlikely that restaurants will start playing sounds of traffic and brass instruments during your dining experience.  However, a few companies are testing mobile applications, which would play a song or tune to highlight the flavors in your dish. This could allow for a reduction in salts in sugars in the cooking process, and thus create healthier eating habits overall.

Now that we know changing the environment can have a big impact on our flavor perception, would you use an app while eating in order to enhance your perception of flavor? We would like to hear your experiences with the effect of sound and setting on flavor. Please share with us below.

The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States (FEMA) was founded in 1909 and is the national association of the U.S. flavor industry.  FEMA’s membership is comprised of flavor manufacturers, flavor users, flavor ingredient suppliers, and others with an interest in the U.S. flavor industry.  The association is committed to ensuring a safe supply of flavor ingredients used in foods and beverages enjoyed by billions of men, women, and children around the world.