“The tip of the iceberg”: DuPont scientist reveals role of subconscious processing in product reformulation

09 Dec 2019 --- Brain scans are a key tool in enabling reformulators to create a product that consumers respond positively to at all levels of consciousness. This is according to Camilla Arndal Andersen, a scientist at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, who presented a TED talk about understanding taste responses. She highlights that data can be gathered about subconscious associations, for example between vanilla and sweetness, and harnessed to create healthier options for a consumer increasingly prioritizing better-for-you options.

In addition to Andersen’s presentation, five other DuPont scientists gave speeches on topics spanning enzymes for more sustainable consumption, alternatives to antibiotics in livestock production, reducing environmental impact in oilfields and tackling the worldwide obesity pandemic by utilizing the human gut microbiota. TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talk.

“The six TED talks give a unique insight into the aspirational research our scientists work with across a variety of fields and are a great presentation of how we work to discover new innovations,” says Angela Naef, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences Technology & Innovation Leader.

Henna-Maria Uusitupa, Senior Scientist & Technical Lead of Infant Health, examined the role of infant gut microbiota on overall health later in life. Specifically, she theorized how customized pre- and probiotic products could reintroduce the lost beneficial microbes to infants and children to tackle worldwide health problems, such as the obesity pandemic.

Camilla Arndal Andersen explained how food flavors provoke specific brain responses.Prior research has indicated that the beneficial bacteria acquired as infants are vital for health into adulthood. Consequently, disruptions in early gut microbiota development caused by factors such as birth mode, antibiotics, environment and nutrition might have a crucial role in the development of overweight and obese conditions, which are increasingly prevalent in children and adolescents. 

The conscious experience can be misleading
Andersen’s presentation explored how food flavors provoke specific brain responses and that brain scans can allow studies of perception to extend beyond vocabulary or the capacity of the conscious mind. Through the use of electroencephalogram (EEG) scans, Andersen found that bodies react to flavor differences – even when the person is not consciously aware of them. For example, while half of participants in her testing couldn’t consciously tell the difference between sugar and artificial sweeteners, their brains still perceived the variance.

Unconscious food attributes may, therefore, prove to be vital to food experience and could be used to replace traditional ingredient sources with healthier or more sustainable options without sacrificing taste.

She illustrates this with an example of her husband perceiving one sample of coffee as being jolting and unlikeable and the other being fruity and delightful. However, these were the same product, meaning that his conscious perception was inaccurate. Andersen explains that receptors detect information from all of the senses, with the information then being woven together to allow a person to recognize a taste and form an opinion. 

“However, it is a common misconception that what we consciously experience is true. Conscious thoughts don’t have to reflect reality because physical stimuli can be so weak they don’t enter the mind at all. Hidden biases can also twist info before it gets to the brain,” she explains in the presentation. 

This bias can be deep-rooted, with people even having a bias blind spot – the tendency to see ourselves as being less biased than others. Meanwhile, it is the courtesy bias that is common in the food industry – people are prone to giving a socially acceptable opinion that is not reflective of their own views.Through the use of electroencephalogram (EEG) scans, Andersen found that bodies react to flavor differences.

“When people say they like a sugar-reduced milkshake, are they just saying they like it because they know I’m listening and they want to please me or because they want to seem fit and healthy? Not only do I not know, but they also don’t know themselves,” she says, continuing that this issue affects even professional food tasters. These specially-trained experts may still perceive products with vanilla to be sweeter, as they have built up associations linking vanilla with sweetness. 

“These techniques will help remove the barrier of the conscious mind and see through the biases of people and possibly even capture subconscious taste differences. We can now measure people’s very first response to food before they are conscious of it and start rationalizing whether they like it or not. Therefore, we can create healthier foods without compromising taste because we can measure responses to different sweeteners and find one with the most similar response to sugar. 

Looking forward, she highlights fat as an area for exploration. “Fat is a taste, not just a texture and smell. Our conscious experience of food is just the tip of the iceberg. By studying all of it, I truly believe we can make tastier and healthier foods for all,” she concludes. 

By Katherine Durrell