SENSORY PHYSIOLOGY EXPERIMENT - PERCEPTION

A test was conducted to measure taste perception. Some Jello samples were prepared with added food coloring to hide any connotations of taste that coloring may have on the perception of taste. For example, orange flavor jello was colored brown to test whether this factor influenced subjects perception of taste. Thirty subjects were included from a consumer testing booth at the Memorial Union student activities fair at Oregon State University. Each subject was asked to sample three randomly coded jello samples and mark the scorecard as to the flavor of each sample that

they perceived. Of the brown colored jello samples, only 13% were correct in noting the orange flavor. Many of these samples were perceived as having flavors of cola or dark raspberry. Lemon flavored jello was colored orange which resulted in only 16% of the subjects correctly guessing the flavor. Most of the respondents to this sample denoted orange as the flavor they perceived on the scorecard.

As apparent, in this informal sensory test it was found that color does affect taste perception, which shows that the senses work together and not alone. Hence, one sense can also affect the perception of another.

Sensory Physiology Nancy L. DeVore

Updated 8/29/97. Send mail to Food Resource, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.