Caloric content and industrial processing modulate the mental simulation of food concepts

Grounded cognition theories propose that concepts, including food stimuli, are represented through the partial reactivation of sensory and motor experiences. Evidence suggests that foods subjectively perceived as unhealthy tend to elicit stronger sensorimotor simulations, which may, in turn, increase their perceived attractiveness and consumption. However, it remains unclear to what extent objectively defined food properties, specifically caloric content and degree of industrial processing, modulate this simulation.

In this study, 99 Italian-speaking participants rated 50 food words (25 highly processed; 25 minimally processed) across six sensory modalities (interoception, touch, hearing, olfaction, taste, vision), a motor dimension, and measures of wanting and liking. Food categories were matched for caloric content to isolate the effect of processing level.

Linear mixed-effects models revealed a significant and consistent interaction between caloric content and degree of processing in modulating mental simulation across all sensory modalities, the global perceptual index (Minkowski3), and motor simulation. Specifically, higher caloric content was associated with stronger sensorimotor simulation only for highly processed foods, whereas this relationship was not significant for minimally processed ones. Furthermore, higher levels of simulation, both perceptual and motor, predicted greater wanting and liking, independently of the objective properties of the foods.

These findings indicate that industrial processing constitutes a relevant variable, distinct from caloric content alone, in shaping sensorimotor food representations, and suggest a possible cognitive mechanism through which ultra-processed foods may acquire heightened motivational salience, with potential implications for understanding dysregulated eating behavior and designing interventions to promote healthier food choices.