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Holistic Approaches in Sensory Research on Food and Non-food Products Using New Techniques and Digital Tools

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 4091

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Eliza Kostyra

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Guest Editor
Department of Functional and Ecological Food, Chair of Functional Food and Sensory Research, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: sensory analysis; static and dynamic methods in sensory and consumer research; measurement of emotions; electronic devices (eye, nose, tongue); functional food
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Anna Piotrowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Functional and Ecological Food, Chair of Functional Food and Sensory Research, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: sensory profiling; emotions; rapid sensory techniques in product development; functional foods; context in food choice; food acceptance; electronic nose; electronic tongue
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Market and Consumer Research, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW-WULS), 159C Nowoursynowska Street, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: consumer behavior; acceptance; novel research methods in consumer and sensory science; food values and attitudes; organic food; local food; food innovations; food trends
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sensory and consumer research is widely used in the evaluation of food and non-food products (e.g. packaging, cosmetics, cars, equipment, pet food; tobacco products). There are many classic methods as well as innovative techniques (e.g., automatic facial expression, eye tracking, body temperature; skin conductance) that can be successfully applied to solve research problems in science as well as in industry. The issues related to the methodological approaches for measuring consumer well-being and the impact of context on consumer perception as well as digital solutions in sensory and consumer sciences are also interesting. Nowadays, sensory researchers also use e-nose, e-tongue and e-eye systems to determine the effect of different factors (e.g. texture additives, flavouring, technological process, raw material; storage) on changes in product quality and qualitative deviations from the adopted benchmark (standard). Research using e-nose, e-tongue and e-eye systems provides us with the opportunity to classify products according to similar and different qualitative and quantitative characteristics. Moreover, it enables the integration of instrumental data with sensory evaluation results.

Holistic research that integrates diverse methods and measurement techniques has a positive impact on the broader perspective of identifying the determinants of human perception and behaviour in relation to products.

The Special Issue invites researchers to submit original research or reviews related to the following topics:

  • The effect of intrinsic sensory attributes and the extrinsic cues on consumer perception of food and non-food products;
  • Holistic research based on sensory and consumer studies;
  • Quantitative or qualitative methods/techniques;
  • Digital technologies;
  • The use of eye tracking and FaceReader for food and non-food products;
  • Well-being related to various products;
  • E-nose, e-tongue and e-eye in the area of sensory sciences.

Dr. Eliza Kostyra
Dr. Anna Piotrowska
Dr. Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sensory research
  • consumer behaviour
  • food and non-food products
  • descriptive analysis test
  • qualitative techniques
  • immersive technique
  • virtual reality
  • eye tracking
  • novel techniques in sensory profiling
  • digital solutions
  • e-nose, e-tongue and e-eye

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 905 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Correlation of Microstructure, Instrumental Texture, and Consumer Acceptance of Shortbread Biscuits with Selected Sweeteners and Fibre
by Agata Marzec, Alicja Stępień, Agnieszka Goclik, Hanna Kowalska, Jolanta Kowalska and Agnieszka Salamon
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 1137; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031137 - 23 Jan 2025
Viewed by 435
Abstract
Biscuits are characterized by their popular sweet taste, but they have a poor nutritional profile due to their high sugar and saturated fat content, along with low fibre levels. Their sweetness primarily comes from sucrose, which not only determines the flavour but also [...] Read more.
Biscuits are characterized by their popular sweet taste, but they have a poor nutritional profile due to their high sugar and saturated fat content, along with low fibre levels. Their sweetness primarily comes from sucrose, which not only determines the flavour but also performs several technological functions, making it difficult to replace in pastry products. Commercial sweeteners and soluble fibres designed for pastry products are available. Therefore, it is necessary to test the feasibility of using these ingredients in biscuit formulations and assess their impact on biscuit quality. Concurrently, the correlation analysis of dough rheological parameters, structure, and instrumental texture parameters with sensory characteristics will help identify which parameters are strongly correlated and can be used to predict biscuit quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dough rheological properties, structure, texture, and sensory characteristics of biscuits in which sucrose was replaced by the commercial sweeteners Tagatesse, maltitol, and erythritol–stevia, with the addition of soluble fibres Nutriose® FB (wheat fibre) and PromOat 35 (oat fibre). At the same time, a correlation analysis was conducted between dough rheological parameters (stickiness, work of adhesion, dough strength) and biscuit quality parameters, such as water activity, water content, colour, texture (pore area, pore shape, pore elongation), and instrumental texture properties (hardness, brittleness, number of acoustic emission (AE) events, AE event energy), with sensory discrimination evaluated through a consumer test. The use of wheat and oat fibres in combination with sucrose resulted in biscuits with lower apparent density, increased porosity, and weaker texture (fracturability, hardness, number of AE events), yet they had better sensory properties compared to biscuits containing sucrose alone. Replacing sucrose with sweeteners combined with fibres led to a deterioration in the sensory quality of the biscuits and a significant change in the dough’s rheological properties. Regardless of the type of sweetener, biscuits with wheat fibre were rated better than those with oat fibre. Of the tested sweeteners, only maltitol combined with wheat fibre resulted in a sensory quality similar to that of sucrose biscuits. Correlation analysis of all measured biscuit quality parameters showed that only the number of AE events had a strong positive correlation with all tested sensory attributes. Porosity was only correlated with sensory crispness, and fracturability was correlated with sweetness, taste, and overall acceptability. Therefore, it appears that the number of AE events recorded at the time of breaking may be a reliable parameter for predicting biscuit quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Holistic Approaches in Sensory Research on Food and Non-food Products Using New Techniques and Digital Tools)
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14 pages, 1151 KiB  
Article
Cross-Brand Machine Learning of Coffee’s Temporal Liking from Temporal Dominance of Sensations Curves
by Hiroharu Natsume and Shogo Okamoto
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15020948 - 19 Jan 2025
Viewed by 467
Abstract
The temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) method captures assessors’ real-time sensory experiences during food tasting, while the temporal liking (TL) method evaluates dynamic changes in food preferences or perceived deliciousness. These sensory evaluation tools are essential for understanding consumer preferences but are also [...] Read more.
The temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) method captures assessors’ real-time sensory experiences during food tasting, while the temporal liking (TL) method evaluates dynamic changes in food preferences or perceived deliciousness. These sensory evaluation tools are essential for understanding consumer preferences but are also resource-intensive processes in the food development cycle. In this study, we used reservoir computing, a machine learning technique well-suited for time-series data, to predict temporal changes in liking based on the temporal evolution of dominant sensations. While previous studies developed reservoir models for specific food brands, achieving cross-brand prediction—predicting the temporal liking of one brand using a model trained on other brands—is a critical step toward replacing human assessors. We applied this approach to coffee products, predicting temporal liking for a given brand from its TDS data using a model trained on three other brands. The average prediction error across all brands was approximately 10% of the maximum instantaneous liking scores, and the mean correlation coefficients between the observed and predicted temporal scores ranged from 0.79 to 0.85 across the four brands, demonstrating the model’s potential for cross-brand prediction. This approach offers a promising technique for reducing the costs of sensory evaluation and enhancing product development in the food industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Holistic Approaches in Sensory Research on Food and Non-food Products Using New Techniques and Digital Tools)
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14 pages, 1464 KiB  
Article
Influence of Visual Quality and Cultural Background on Consumer Apple Preferences: An Eye-Tracking Study with Chinese and Hungarian Consumers
by Xu Cao, Zsuzsanna Horváth-Mezőfi, Zoltán Sasvár, Gergő Szabó, Attila Gere, Géza Hitka and Dalma Radványi
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15020773 - 14 Jan 2025
Viewed by 527
Abstract
Using eye-tracking technology, the proposed study investigates how customers visually evaluate apples varieties and apple defects and how these evaluations affect their purchasing decisions. Three aspects were examined in this study: apple variety, defect severity, and cultural background. Idared, Golden Delicious Yellow, and [...] Read more.
Using eye-tracking technology, the proposed study investigates how customers visually evaluate apples varieties and apple defects and how these evaluations affect their purchasing decisions. Three aspects were examined in this study: apple variety, defect severity, and cultural background. Idared, Golden Delicious Yellow, and Golden Delicious Green apple varieties with increasing degrees of bruising were shown to Chinese and Hungarian participants. The findings show that apple variety had no significant effect on gaze patterns, whereas cultural background had a considerable impact on visual attention measures. The most important element in grabbing and retaining customer attention was the severity of the defect, which was measured by area. The “Threshold of Rejection”, which characterizes consumer tolerance for Apple defects, is introduced in the study. Furthermore, a polynomial regression model was created to predict the probability of repurchasing an apple depending on its visual quality (level of bruising). These results provide useful information for marketing plans, quality assurance, and comprehending customer behavior in the fresh produce sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Holistic Approaches in Sensory Research on Food and Non-food Products Using New Techniques and Digital Tools)
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13 pages, 1972 KiB  
Article
FaceReader Insights into the Emotional Response of Douro Wines
by Catarina Marques and Alice Vilela
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(21), 10053; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142110053 - 4 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1082
Abstract
Understanding consumers’ emotional responses to wine is essential for improving marketing strategies and product development. Emotions play a pivotal role in shaping consumer preferences. This study investigates the emotional reactions elicited by different types of Douro wines (white, red, and Port) through facial [...] Read more.
Understanding consumers’ emotional responses to wine is essential for improving marketing strategies and product development. Emotions play a pivotal role in shaping consumer preferences. This study investigates the emotional reactions elicited by different types of Douro wines (white, red, and Port) through facial expression analysis using FaceReader software, version 9.0 (Noldus Information Technology, Wageningen, The Netherlands). A total of 80 participants tasted six wine samples, and their facial expressions were recorded and analyzed. FaceReader quantified the intensity of emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust. Arousal levels were also assessed. The results were analyzed through principal component analysis (PCA) to identify patterns and groupings based on emotional responses. White wines evoked more sadness due to their acidity, while red wines were associated with lower levels of sadness and greater comfort. Port wines elicited surprise, probably due to their sweet and fortified nature. Additionally, female participants showed consistently higher arousal levels than males across all wine types. The study highlights distinct emotional profiles for each type of wine and suggests that demographic factors, such as gender, influence emotional responses. These insights can inform targeted marketing and enhance the consumer experience through better alignment of wine characteristics with emotional engagement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Holistic Approaches in Sensory Research on Food and Non-food Products Using New Techniques and Digital Tools)
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16 pages, 1544 KiB  
Article
Preservative Effect of a Gelatin-Based Film Including a Gelidium sp. Flour Extract on Refrigerated Atlantic Mackerel
by Lucía López, Antonio Gómez, Marcos Trigo, José M. Miranda, Jorge Barros-Velázquez and Santiago P. Aubourg
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(19), 8817; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14198817 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 932
Abstract
This research evaluated the preservative properties of flour from the alga Gelidium sp., which is a waste substrate resulting from commercial phycocolloid extraction. Gelatin-based biofilms, which included two different concentrations of red alga flour, were developed and used as packaging systems during refrigerated [...] Read more.
This research evaluated the preservative properties of flour from the alga Gelidium sp., which is a waste substrate resulting from commercial phycocolloid extraction. Gelatin-based biofilms, which included two different concentrations of red alga flour, were developed and used as packaging systems during refrigerated storage (up to 9 days at 4 °C) of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) muscle. In all batches tested, a progressive decrease in quality could be observed in the muscle of the fish as the storage time increased. Compared with the control fish, the Gelidium alga flour extract had an inhibitory effect (p < 0.05) on microbial activity (total aerobes, psychrotrophs, and proteolytic bacteria), lipid oxidation (peroxide, thiobarbituric acid, fluorescence and polyene indices), lipid hydrolysis (formation of free fatty acids) and pH increase in refrigerated mackerel muscle. In contrast, no significant effect (p > 0.05) was observed on trimethylamine formation, Enterobacteriaceae, or lipolytic bacteria counts. A preservative effect resulting from the incorporation of Gelidium alga flour into the gelatin-based biofilm was observed, indicating both quality and safety enhancement. In accordance with current global interest in the search for natural and waste sources, a novel and beneficial use of Gelidium flour for enhancing the quality of refrigerated fish has been proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Holistic Approaches in Sensory Research on Food and Non-food Products Using New Techniques and Digital Tools)
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26 pages, 748 KiB  
Review
Electronic Sensing Technologies in Food Quality Assessment: A Comprehensive Literature Review
by Marian Gil, Mariusz Rudy, Paulina Duma-Kocan and Renata Stanisławczyk
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 1530; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031530 - 3 Feb 2025
Viewed by 169
Abstract
This manuscript was prepared for the purpose of an in-depth analysis of the development of electronic sensors in food quality assessment. In this study, the following research question was asked: What are the arguments for the development of electronic sensors for food assessment? [...] Read more.
This manuscript was prepared for the purpose of an in-depth analysis of the development of electronic sensors in food quality assessment. In this study, the following research question was asked: What are the arguments for the development of electronic sensors for food assessment? The aim of this work was to comprehensively review the current scientific literature presenting the discussed issues and their systematization, as well as to present the prospects, threats, and applications of electronic sensors in food quality testing. The greatest interest of researchers lies in the use of e-nose. In contrast, fewer publications concerned e-tongue applications, and the smallest number of works concerned e-eye application. The initial application of electronic sensors in the food industry progressed from research on the identification of single ingredients or properties to the creation of increasingly complex research instruments that comprehensively analyze areas of food characteristics. Specifically, e-sensor research has focused on individual e-nose, e-tongue, and e-eye devices and has not provided complete information about food. This is confirmed by the high accuracy of research results regarding the combined use of sensors in food quality assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Holistic Approaches in Sensory Research on Food and Non-food Products Using New Techniques and Digital Tools)
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