The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Study looks at funny faces we pull eating foods we dislike
Aimof research is to find ways of making healthy foods seem more appealing to the sceptical who spurn good eating
The often-bizarre faces we pull in response to disgusting food will be the focus of new analysis at Abertay University.
Researchers are investigating how facial movements and expressions can be used to gauge the likeability of new health food products.
Carried out in the Dundee university’s new £3.5 million science labs which opened earlier this summer, the project will seek to develop a tool that can show the link between a person’s facial reaction and the sensory stimulus that provoked the change.
In the long term, the research could hold the key to producing a new range of health foods designed to be more appealing to the general population.
Dr John Grigor, of Abertay’s Division of Food and Drink, said: “We have all pulled a face when we taste, see or smell something unpleasant.
“This project aims to discover more about how that sensory relationship with food works with a view to potentially finding ways to make healthy foods more appealing.
Despite the increase in general knowledge about how to select a healthy diet, some people still consistently make unhealthy food choices.
In addition, the food industry has a high failure rate in terms of new health food product launches.
Therefore, understanding the relationship between how people rate foods in terms of their sensory characteristics and how these ratings relate to “liking” is a key part of optimising the new product development process.
As of yet no formal technique has been developed and validated which can reliably predict this relationship.
A funded Master by Research studentship is available to assist progress, including a tax-free stipend of £14,553 a year, paid tuition fees and a generous study package with travel budget and training.
The project will uniquely combine real-time eating and physiological measures of subjects, while observing sensory and facial responses.
Earlier this month Abertay’s Division of Food and Drink was ranked top in Scotland and 9th in the UK in the Guardian Good University Guide.