Anatomical and Physiological Bases of Food Perception

Abstract

The perception and appreciation of the sensory qualities of foods largely determine their acceptance by consumers. Food sensory perception starts with the senses and their unique sensory systems, which detect, encode and relay different information inputs to the brain in response to exposure to food stimuli. This chapter describes the anatomical and physiological bases of such processes, from a biological perspective, and how they may vary across individuals, focusing on the structures involved in food stimuli detection in the oral cavity, i.e., while eating. Its initial sections provide an overview of the mechanisms responsible for taste, olfaction and somatosensation. The role played by saliva in food perception is presented, since this is the fluid that mixes with food, in the mouth, interacting with oral structures and food molecules. Moreover, the way sensory information is transmitted and integrated in the brain, leading to the final perception, will be discussed. The final sections of the present chapter will present the state of the art regarding the effects of physiological and metabolic factors on oral food perception, including variations occurring across the human lifespan.