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Updated: Jul 17, 2025
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Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors
Published on: January 25, 2018
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Orthonasal olfactory influences on consumer food behaviour
Tianyi Zhang1, Charles Spence1
1Crossmodal Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, UK.
Appetite
|September 6, 2023
Summary
Food aromas can influence appetite and food choices, but their effectiveness depends on context. Scent marketing research needs to consider individual differences and specific conditions for optimal application.
Area of Science:
- Sensory marketing
- Food science
- Consumer behavior
Background:
- Popular belief suggests food aromas attract customers to food establishments.
- Sensory marketing widely uses odors, but laboratory research indicates variable effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review how food odors influence food preferences and choices.
- To examine factors modulating the effects of olfactory stimuli on food behavior.
Main Methods:
- Narrative historical review of experimental studies on food-related olfaction.
- Analysis of studies investigating olfactory stimuli characteristics and individual differences.
Main Results:
- Ambient odors' effects on food attitudes and choices are condition-dependent.
- Olfactory stimulus characteristics (congruency, intensity, duration, taste) modulate food behavior.
- Individual differences (dietary restraint, BMI, genetics, culture) moderate odor effects.
Conclusions:
- The impact of scent marketing on food behavior is complex and context-specific.
- Further research is needed to optimize scent application for promoting healthy foods.
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