See, Feel, Taste: The Influence of Receptacle Colour and Weight on the Evaluation of Flavoured Carbonated Beverages

Abstract

A study was designed to assess whether the individual and combined effects of product-intrinsic and product-extrinsic factors influence the perception of, and liking for, carbonated beverages. Four hundred and one participants tasted samples of one of three flavours (grapefruit, lemon, or raspberry) of carbonated aromatised non-alcoholic beer. The beverages were served in receptacles that differed in terms of their colour (red or black) and weight (lighter—no added weight, or heavier—20 g weight added). Each participant received the same beverage in each of the four different receptacles, and rated how much they liked the drink. They also evaluated the intensity of each beverage’s sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and carbonation. The results revealed a significant influence of the colour of the receptacle on perceived carbonation, with the beverages tasted from the red receptacles being rated as tasting more carbonated than when served in black receptacles. In terms of flavour, the participants liked the raspberry beverage significantly more than the others, while also rating it as tasting sweeter and less bitter than either of the other flavours. Furthermore, there was a more complex interaction effect involving the weight of the receptacle: Specifically, the perceived bitterness of the beverage moderated the relationship between the receptacle weight and the perceived carbonation. At high levels of bitterness, the drinks were perceived to be more carbonated when served from the heavier receptacle as compared to the lighter one. These findings highlight the complex interplay of product extrinsic and intrinsic factors on the flavour/mouthfeel perception and preference for beverages, and stress the importance of taking both internal product development and external packaging into account in the design of health-oriented beverages.

Individual Differences in the Perception of Color Solutions

“…As a whole, both intrinsic and extrinsic product characteristics affect preferences [ 41 ]. In conclusion, individual color perceptions and preferences may vary significantly, emphasizing the need for further studies to understand color perception and its connection to choices in different consumer segments.…”

Bitter, Sweet, Salty, Sour and Umami Taste Perception Decreases with Age: Sex-Specific Analysis, Modulation by Genetic Variants and Taste-Preference Associations in 18 to 80 Year-Old Subjects

“…In general, people prefer to eat foods they like [ 21 , 22 , 23 ] and taste is one of the most important factors when making the choices [ 21 , 22 , 24 , 25 ]. Although there is huge inter-individual variation in the perception of the five basic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami) [ 26 , 27 , 28 ], little is known about the influence of such variation on the intake patterns of certain foods [ 29 , 30 ] or even on preferences for certain tastes [ 26 , 27 , 31 , 32 ], emphasizing the need for further research. Initial findings in humans and in animal models suggest that lower taste perception may be associated with higher obesity risk [ 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”

Choosing from an Optimal Number of Options Makes Curry and Tea More Palatable

“…A growing body of research has shown that our hedonic responses to foods and beverages are not simply determined by their physical and chemical properties [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. To fully understand consumers’ food behaviors, it is clearly important to investigate the factors that affect the hedonic responses to foods and beverages.…”

“…It is generally believed that our hedonic responses to foods and beverages are simply determined by their physical and chemical properties. However, a growing body of studies has demonstrated that hedonic responses to foods and beverages are significantly affected by contextual factors such as the order of tasting [1,2], plateware and cutlery [3,4], background music [5,6], prices [7], and brands [8,9,10]. These studies indicate that we should pay attention not only to the physical and chemical properties of foods and beverages, but also to the effect of contextual factors in food perception to fully understand consumers’ hedonic responses.…”