Since 2006 the number of studies aimed at investigating emotional responses to products has exploded. This chapter aims at presenting the current state of emotions research in product and packaging development with a focus on their contribution to emotion-driven new product formulation, product design, and optimization, considering all the different aspects of the product, from its intrinsic sensory qualities to the packaging and branding. The available tools to measure consumer emotions will be presented with a specific focus on self-reports. Methodological issues in using questionnaires are discussed in detail, providing suggestions for questionnaire development for a single- or multicountry study. The impacts of emotions on expectations in consumer experience of a product are discussed, and a case study on the use of emotion in product development is presented.

This study examined the impact of hedonic contrast on adolescents' sensory and emotional responses, as well as intake, of an innovative plant-based main dish served in a real-life school canteen setting. A two-course Italianstyle lunch was designed using either a bland or tasty variant of the same rice-and-vegetable starter, selected based on a preliminary study, followed by an innovative co-created plant-based dish, a lentil-pumpkin arancino. Across five weekly exposures, 128 students (aged 14-17) evaluated meal components using affective and emotional rating scales, alongside ad libitum intake measures according to a between-subject design (Meal with the tasty vs bland starter). Results from the initial exposure revealed no significant effect of starter condition on liking of the main dish. However, meals with the bland starter led to significantly higher intake and increased ratings of a high-arousal positive emotion (cheerfulness) toward the main dish, supporting a positive hedonic contrast effect on both behavior and emotional experience. With repeated exposures, a decline in liking and positive emotions was observed, particularly in the bland starter condition, suggesting a boredom effect. These findings indicate that emotional and intake responses to plant-based foods may be enhanced through hedonic contrast, even in the absence of increased liking, but also highlight the importance of menu variety to sustain positive effects over time. The findings offer practical insights for improving meal planning and support the introduction of healthy, sustainable, and innovative plant-based dishes in school foodservice contexts through the use of sensory and contextual strategies.

Promoting the acceptability of healthy and sustainable dishes in school canteens is crucial to improve the quality of children's diets, which are often hindered by the low acceptance of plant-based foods and individual variables such as food neophobia. The study employed an approach which integrates co-creation and "Jobs-To-Be-Done" (JTBD) framework to design innovative legume-based dishes, as primary sources of plant-based protein, suitable for school service menus tailored to the needs and tastes of children with different levels of food neophobia. Both the final users (children, n = 319, 8-11 y.o.) and the service provider (catering company) were involved in the co-creation process. Hedonic, emotional and sensory responses by children were collected to guide the selection of the most promising solutions. The co-created prototypes were potentially accepted although high neophobic children rated liking lower and used more negative emoji than low neophobic children. One of the prototypes was implemented in the school canteen menu and accepted even by high neophobic children. Results indicated that the adopted co-creation strategy could help mitigate the negative effect of food neophobia on the acceptance of an innovative plant-based dish and to enable the identification of innovative solutions suitable for direct implementation within the regular school menu.

Several factors are involved in determining food preference and diet quality. The Italian taste project aimed at exploring the associations among variables belonging to different domains presumed to be important in determining food preference and intake. The present chapter focuses on “Food Behavior and Attitudes” domain and reports results from a sample of 2249 respondents, representative of the Italian adult population. Attitudes towards food were investigated using the Health and Taste Attitude Scale (HTAS) and the Food-Related Lifestyle (FRL) questionnaire. Differences across country regions (North, Center, and South) and influences of gender and age on food attitudes were investigated. General health interest did not change across the Italian regions, while interest for light food was higher while interest for natural products and taste-related dimensions were lower in Southern than Central and Northern regions. Women were more interested than men in general health aspects, natural products, and taste-related aspects. General interest for health and for natural products regularly increased with age, while the importance of taste-related dimensions tended to decrease. Results from FRL indicated a general higher attention paid to food selection and preparation by Southern and Northern than by Central regions. All the FRL subscale scores were higher in females than in males except for convenience, higher in males than females. Younger subjects paid less attention to product information and were more interested in price but spent more time cooking and were more interest in novelty. These sociodemographic and attitudinal variables significantly influenced preference for and intake of healthy and traditional food, taking vegetables and spicy foods as representative categories.

This study employed the Global Profile method, a multidimensional sensory evaluation tool, to characterise craft beers from Tuscan artisanal breweries. The approach was expanded beyond conventional sensory attributes to include consumption situations and food-pairing appropriateness, offering a more holistic understanding of each beer's distinctive profile. Results describe how flavour, aroma, and texture are associated with situational and pairing associations, highlighting the unique sensory signatures that distinguish artisanal beers. To assess storage effects, beers were evaluated under two conditions: cold storage, representing fresh (T0), and warehouse storage for 1 year, representing aged samples. Comparison showed that sensory profiles remained largely stable, with only minor variations in attribute intensity and situational appropriateness, which did not impact on overall liking. Findings demonstrate the value of integrating sensory, situational, and pairing measures to capture the complexity of craft beer perception and provide practical insights for brewers seeking to refine product positioning and sustain consumer satisfaction.

Unclear labeling of cell-cultivated meat (CCM) in the U.S.A. creates significant challenges for consumer decision-making. While prior studies have examined consumer traits related to CCM product acceptance, the relationship between emotions towards labels and product acceptance remains unexplored. To address this gap, an EmoSemio questionnaire was administered to 893 participants across the U.S.A. We hypothesize product acceptance is driven by emotions towards how CCM products are labeled, which are informed by consumer attitudes and beliefs. Using untargeted hierarchical clustering, consumers were segmented based on emotional responses to seven CCM label terms and 'meat'. We then analyzed psychographic, demographic, and CCM product perception across clusters. Three emotional clusters emerged, demonstrating significant differences in intended behaviors toward CCM products, with the Optimistic Enthusiasts being most and the Apprehensive Critics least willing to try (p < 0.05). Based on psychographics, significant differences between clusters (p < 0.05) characterized Apprehensive Critics based on highest Food Technology Neophobia and Disgust Sensitivity ratings, with the lowest ratings in Anticipated Food Scarcity in comparison to the other two clusters. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed attitudes shaping emotions towards label terms, but the impact of emotions on perceptions was dependent on the label term. Outcomes from this study highlight differences in psychographics and intended behaviors that explain emotions towards different CCM label terms.

Approval of cell-cultivated meat (CCM) for sale is widely discussed by media, consumers, and stakeholders, with Singapore being first to approve in 2020, followed by the USA in 2023. In both countries, different label terms are used to describe these products, making it difficult for consumers to make informed choices. While consumer surveys have evaluated label term appeal and transparency, emotions evoked by different label terms remain unclear.We set out to close this gap through the development and application of a product-specific emotional profile for CCM label terms. In this two-part study, we first created a 17-item EmoSemio questionnaire to encapsulate the range of emotions evoked by different CCM label terms, then tested it with 893 USA and 424 Singaporean participants in an online survey.We found terms including the words ‘cell-’ and lab-grown to evoke significantly greater negative emotions in both countries. In both countries, the term clean meat evoked the greatest positive valence emotions, however, when prompted with the definition of CCM participants did not choose it as a representative label term in either Singapore or the USA.Our findings provide insights on how label terms effect emotions evoked in both the USA and Singapore, contributing to cross-cultural research on CCM perception. The development of a product-specific EmoSemio questionnaire allows future research to assess the emotions evoked by CCM label terms.

The prevalence of food waste and meal dissatisfaction, poses challenges for cancer hospitals, prompting a need for effective solutions. Actively involving patients and chefs through a co-creation process in the development of new recipes may enhance the acceptability of hospital meals in cancer care, reducing food waste. This study aimed to replace current not well-liked recipes (based on target ingredients of the Mediterranean Diet) in an oncological hospital food service with co-created dishes tailored specifically to cancer patients. First, the co-creation process involved sixteen cancer patients and three chefs engaged separately in focus groups, using three complementary techniques (Jobs-To-Be-Done, free-association tasks and the SCAMPER). This phase led to forty-eight innovative concepts. Second, sixty-nine patients expressed their expected liking for the concepts' descriptions, leading to detailed briefs, based on the most appreciated concepts. Third, cooking sessions led to the development of ten final recipes of which seven were deemed technically feasible to replace current versions on the hospital lunch menu. Finally, liking scores and food waste data on the conventional and co-created dishes were collected in total on 242 hospitalized cancer patients in a field study using a quasi-experimental design (between subjects). Co-created dishes were liked more (p = 0.004) and tended to be less wasted (p = 0.083) than the conventional dishes in the field study. Mean liking scores increased by up to 35.88 % compared to conventional recipes, while food waste was reduced by as much as 67.44 % for some recipes. Overall, these findings suggest co-creation as a promising strategy to innovate hospital food service. They also underscore the importance of incorporating affective tests in field studies, as part of an iterative feedback loop informing and shaping process development.

Eating behavior is shaped by genetic, psychological, and physiological factors, with nutrient sensing playing a central role in modulating intake. The tongue, as the primary gustatory organ, initiates this process by influencing hedonic preferences, food choices, and feeding behavior. Recent sensory research has highlighted the potential role of an emerging class of taste modalities known as alimentary tastes. This concept refers to the gustatory detection of compounds that produce weak or subtle taste perceptions but elicit strong postoral effects. While most studies have focused on umami and fat taste in that category, growing interest surrounds newly characterized modalities such as kokumi- and complex carbohydrate-associated tastes. Basic and alimentary taste stimulus influence behavior and physiological processes both pre- and postingestion. Their receptors, present in enteroendocrine cells, detect specific nutrients and regulate gut feedback mechanisms. Emerging research is investigating not only their involvement in metabolic disorders and conditions such as malnutrition, but also their potential as therapeutic targets for modulating appetite, nutrient absorption, and endocrine responses. This narrative review aims to identify and characterize the functions of these postoral receptors along the gastrointestinal tract in the regulation of food intake and to evaluate their therapeutic potential in metabolic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Transitioning from meat-heavy diets to those incorporating more plant-based foods is widely acknowledged as beneficial for both human well-being and the global environment. The emerging trend of flexitarianism, characterized by reduced meat intake, holds promising health and environmental benefits. However, challenges such as resistance to change and nutritional knowledge gaps hinder its widespread adoption.To address these challenges and promote solutions that cater to evolving needs, this study emphasizes the crucial role of prioritizing the development of new meat-based products that facilitate the preparation of healthier complete dishes by involving consumers from the early stages of new product development. The primary objective was to generate innovative co-created concepts for customized red meat-based products tailored to the needs and tastes of omnivores and flexitarian consumers applying the Jobs-To-Be-Done framework.The research adopted an innovative multistep approach, integrating consumer insights and collaboration with product experts to drive the creation of innovative meat-based products based on consumers' emerging needs. The co-creation process revealed consumer needs for streamlined meal preparation, enhanced sustainability, and improved healthiness. While omnivores and flexitarians shared some common needs, distinct preferences were identified. The results informed the development of innovative products aligned with consumer needs, validated through engagement with meat experts in the co-creation process. Concept testing demonstrated substantial consumer interest, with variations based on innovativeness, meat consumption habits, and values. This study emphasizes the pivotal role of co-creation in understanding consumer needs, generating actionable concepts, and advancing the development of innovative meat-based products.

This study explores the interplay between PROP responsiveness, a marker of taste acuity, and anxiety-related personality traits in influencing taste perception and preferences, with a focus on potential sex differences. Using a large sample from the Italian Taste Project, over 3000 individuals were studied for their PROP status, personality traits, and responses to bitterness, sourness, astringency, and sweetness in two food models. The results demonstrate that both PROP responsiveness and anxiety-related traits significantly affect taste perception, with anxiety traits modulating the impact of PROP responsiveness in males and females. Notably, these effects vary by sex when it comes to taste acceptability of a bitter chocolate pudding; in females, anxiety-related traits influence more strongly taste acceptability, unlike males where taste responsiveness is more important. In both sexes low-anxiety related traits were associated with higher liking for vegetables and pulses differing in sensory properties. This study emphasizes the need to consider both taste acuity and personality traits in understanding individual differences in food preferences and perception and highlights the importance of sex-specific strategies for promoting healthy eating habits.

Fabric texture significantly influences consumers' emotional responses, shaping product preferences. While explicit methods capture conscious evaluations, many emotional reactions occur automatically, outside awareness. Implicit measures can reveal these spontaneous responses, offering deeper insight into the emotional impact of texture, particularly in the absence of visual cues. This study applied an adapted Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP) to investigate implicit emotional responses to fabric textures using only touch. One hundred fiftyfour Italian participants blindly touched one of six fabrics, cotton, synthetic leather, wool, bamboo sponge, velvet, and jute, selected for their potential to elicit varied emotions. Each fabric served as a prime stimulus. Immediately afterward, participants viewed an ambiguous stimulus (Chinese pictograph) and selected the emotion it evoked, irrespective of their tactile experience. Choices included four emotions reflecting distinct combinations of valence and arousal: happiness, relaxation, boredom, and sadness. Each fabric was presented three times in random order, and response times were recorded. Results showed clear patterns: velvet most frequently evoked happiness, bamboo sponge was linked to relaxation, and jute to sadness. Relaxation, a lowarousal positive emotion, was selected more quickly than sadness, suggesting that emotional valence influences the speed of automatic responses. These findings demonstrate that texture can elicit implicit emotional reactions and underscore the utility of implicit methods in sensory research. The proposed approach enables the measurement of both affective and emotion-specific responses to tactile stimuli. By highlighting texture as a key emotional dimension, this method supports emotionally driven product design and the development of more engaging, multisensory consumer experiences.

The high consumption of foods rich in salt, fat and sugar represents a risk factor for adverse health outcomes, and while strategies for the reduction of these ingredients have been developed, results have been inconclusive. One reason for this may be that the relationship between preferences for salty, fat and sweet foods is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether individuals showing a higher liking for salty foods also prefer fattier foods, whether savoury or non-savoury/sweet. Liking and intensity responses for a model food (bean pur & eacute;e with increasing concentrations of salt, NaCl, added) were provided by 395 subjects to identify groups of consumers with different responses to saltiness. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on liking scores revealed that one group of subjects (Cluster 1: Salt likers, n = 285) liked the bean pur & eacute;e samples with higher NaCl concentrations significantly more than did those belonging to Cluster 2 (Salt dislikers, n = 110). Salt dislikers also rated saltiness, umami taste, and overall flavour as significantly more intense than did salt likers. These differences were also present in assessment of tastes in water solutions, while no differences between clusters in fungiform papillae density and in attitudes toward health and taste were found. Significant differences between the two clusters were found in terms of food choices, with salt likers choosing foods - both savoury and non-savoury/sweet - that are fattier, more caloric, and thus perceived as less healthy, more frequently than did salt dislikers. These results suggest that subjects preferring saltier foods generally also prefer fattier foods, whether savoury or not-savoury. Thus, the approach of segmenting individuals on salty taste preferences appears to be a useful way of identifying consumers groups more prone to make less healthy food choices in general.

The promotion of sustainable diets, that valorise and give stage to plant-based foods, is beneficial for both human and environmental health. Adolescence is crucial to support healthy and sustainable eating. Despite this, adolescents remain an understudied group, especially those with a lower economic status. This study aimed to develop innovative, sustainable and healthy legume-based dishes for school canteens through co-creation with adolescents in a low socioeconomic status area with high immigration rate.Nineteen adolescents and four chefs participated in iterative sessions of focus group discussions using a combination of methods (Jobs-To-Be-Done, free association tasks, SCAMPER (Substitute-Combine-Adapt-Modify-Purpose-Eliminate-Rearrange) technique) to identify ideas of new legume-based dishes. Subsequently, 91 adolescents rated their willingness-to-try 28 dish concepts based on these ideas. Six concepts were selected and translated into prototypes that underwent further evaluation by 138 adolescents who assessed their liking, sensory and emotional responses.Results showed that all dishes were well-received, with lower acceptance among high-neophobic adolescents, yet none of the selected dishes were rejected. Exploring individual differences in liking identified two clusters with different hedonic patterns. Emotional characterization of dishes showed those that elicit positive emotional responses high in arousal and novelty in all adolescents, independently from food neophobia, increasing their likelihood of acceptance.The study shows that co-creation with adolescents, in combination with understanding individual differences, are promising strategies to develop innovative, healthy and well-received legume-based dishes for school canteens.

In recent years, research on taste perception has increasingly focused on its influence on food consumption, preferences, and long-term health. While bitter and sweet tastes have been well-studied, less is known about salty and umami tastes and their effects on dietary habits. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring sensory-hedonic patterns for ‘savory’ stimuli, encompassing both umami and salty tastes, in a representative sample of Italian adults, with a focus on gender-specific differences. Associations among sensory-hedonic patterns, nutritional status, personality, and psycho-attitudinal traits, as well as food habits, were considered.Participants (n=2878) rated their liking and intensity of salty, umami, and overall flavor sensations for bean purée with varying salt levels and provided anthropometric and food consumption data. K-means clustering identified specific sensory-hedonic patterns: ‘Dislikers’ and ‘Moderate Likers’ in women, and ‘Dislikers’ and ‘Likers’ in men. In both genders, the increased concentration of NaCl in the model food translated in opposite hedonic reactions, which was less evident in men with ‘Likers’ showing a higher preference for the saltiest sample. An overweight condition also characterized this latter group. Both 'Likers' clusters (regardless of gender) showed higher familiarity/consumption of less healthy foods, including high-calorie items, junk foods, meat, and fats (all p<0.05). Gender-related differences were observed, with women preferring seafood and desserts, while men savory snacks and soft drinks. These results underscore taste's influence on dietary habits and the need to account for gender differences in personalized dietary interventions.

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between sensory and emotional responses during product application, using the Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) and the Temporal Dominance of Emotions (TDE) to capture the temporal evolution of sensory properties and emotions during the use of facial creams. A preliminary study was conducted (Study A) carrying out 20 qualitative interviews following the EmoSemio product-specific questionnaire protocol to identify 11 sensory attributes for the TDS assessment and 11 emotional attributes for the TDE test. The main study (Study B) was conducted on 100 women who regularly use facial creams evaluating five commercially available moisturizing face creams. The TDS and TDE evaluations spanned from the initial visual and olfactory assessments to cream application and post-application phases.TDS and TDE curves, and the sensory-emotional trajectories revealed differences between products based on their dominant sensory attributes and emotions. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of TDS and TDE methods to describe the evolution of sensory properties and emotions elicited by cosmetic creams during a single usage, suggesting their potential application to other product categories.

Early changes in sensory quality of phenols-rich virgin olive oil (VOO) and their relationship with the chemical changes are less studied in the literature. Therefore, the objective of this study was to propose a predictive model of dynamics of sensory changes based on specific chemical markers. The evolution of the sensory quality of phenol-rich VOOs from Tuscan cultivars stored under optimal storage conditions (i.e., absence of light, no O2 exposure, low temperature) was investigated using a multi-step methodological approach combining sensory (official sensory analysis (so-called Panel Test), Descriptive Analysis and Temporal Dominance of Sensation) and chemical measurements. The sensory map from descriptive data was related to the phenolic and volatile profiles, measured using HPLC-DAD and HS-SPME-GC-MS, respectively. A predictive model of the sensory changes over storage based on chemical compounds was developed. Results showed that very early changes involving phenolic and volatile compounds profiles occur in VOOs stored under optimal storage conditions, which turn in changes in sensory properties evaluated by the official panel test, the descriptive analysis and the temporal dominance of sensation. Furthermore, a chemical marker of sensory dynamics of oils during storage was identified as the ratio between two groups of secoiridoids. The proposed model, supported by the mentioned chemical marker, has the potential of improving the control of sensory changes in phenols-rich virgin olive oils during storage in optimal conditions.