%0 Journal Article
%T The role of attention in flavour perception
%A Richard J Stevenson
%J Flavour
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/2044-7248-1-2
%X 'Flavour' refers to the perceptual experience we have when we eat and drink [1-3]. In the mouth, three anatomically discrete sensory systems contribute to flavour: taste, olfaction and somatosensation [4]. Taste, which is detected by receptors primarily located on the surface of the tongue, generates sensations of sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, meatiness (umami) and possibly other sensations, too, relating to fattiness and metallic tastes [5]. Olfaction detects the volatile chemicals that are released by food and drink in the mouth, especially during chewing. These volatiles may be pumped via the nasopharynx to the olfactory receptors located in the nasal vault and/or may be carried by exhaled air routed via the nose when the mouth is full [6,7]. In contrast to taste, olfaction has a large range of sensations associated with it and is a major contributor to our experience of flavour [8]. The final contributory sense is somatosensation. Not only is this instrumental in generating our sense of food texture via receptors located within the various tissues of the mouth [9], but it also detects sensations relating to temperature, irritation and pain. While the range of sensation that the somatosensory system provides is almost certainly greater than taste, it is probably less than for olfaction.While somatosensation, olfaction and taste comprise the senses involved when a food is in the mouth, the experience of flavour can also be affected by other properties of the food that are perceived during or just prior to ingestion. During ingestion, the sound that a food makes when it is being chewed can influence our experience of texture, as may sound prior to ingestion, although its influence is probably fairly minor [10,11]. Far more potent are the effects of the appearance of the food and the expectations that these visual cues can generate [12]. Numerous studies have indicated that appearance can affect both the enjoyment of that food as well as the way in whi
%U http://www.flavourjournal.com/content/1/1/2