Does modification of olfacto-gustatory stimulation diminish sensory-specific satiety in humans?

Alimentary sensory pleasure is an important factor in ingestive behavior. Renewal of olfacto-gustatory pleasure by introducing new foods or through seasoning of previously consumed food might increase intake.ObjectivesTo explore whether sensory-specific satiety (SSS) for a food could be modulated, either by introducing a novel food or by a modification of sensory stimulation via seasoning the food just eaten.Methods180 out of 242 subjects were distributed over 3 experiments involving ad libitum intake of one of 6 fresh foods (cucumber, tomato, pineapple, banana, peanut, pistachio). Blindfolded subjects reported their sensations for the foods on 3 parameters before and after intake of an olfactorily chosen food: Olfactory pleasure (OP), Specific appetite (SA) and Stimulus-Induced Salivation (SIS). EXP. 1: One chosen food was repeatedly presented orthonasally and rated before and after it was eaten. EXP. 2: A second food was olfactorily chosen and ingested after the first one. EXP. 3: The same food was offered again after seasoning.Results2 min after ingestion, food intake was limited by SSS. OP, SA, SIS correlated with each other for eaten and non-eaten foods. OP for non-eaten foods increased (p < 0.01) after ingestion of the chosen food to specific satiety. When the food just eaten was seasoned, OP increased (p < 0.01) and led to additional intake (80% of first intake).ConclusionA reduction in SSS after introduction of a new flavor or after seasoning an ingested food was observed. Such a reduction has not previously been reported. This could hint at how food sensory variation leads to over-consumption.