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Background: A greater congruency of audio and video expands the temporal binding window (TBW). A similar phenomenon may occur with a combination of odor and taste, which are the main components of flavor. Objective: TBW is defined as the temporal resolution of synchrony perception. The larger the TBW, the lower the resolution. We hypothesized that the more congruent the odor and taste, the lower the temporal resolution of synchrony perception. Methods: To examine this hypothesis, 10 female participants performed simultaneity judgment (SJ) tasks under congruent (soy sauce odor with saline) and incongruent (cherry tree leaf odor with saline) conditions and evaluated the congruency with saltiness for the two odors. In the SJ tasks, participants reported whether odor and taste were presented simultaneously or successively. We assumed a Gaussian distribution for the temporal distributions of the simultaneous response rates and calculated the approximations. In addition, we computed the half width at half height (HWHH) as an index of TBW based on the coefficient of approximation for the temporal distribution of the simultaneous response rates. Results: HWHH was significantly larger under congruent condition than under incongruent condition. In addition, congruency with saltiness had a significant moderate positive correlation with HWHH. Conclusion: The larger the HWHH, the lower the temporal resolution of synchrony perception, supporting the hypothesis. This study suggests that the width of TBW depends on the cross‐modal congruency similar to the case for audio–visual SJs. However, methodological improvements, including a larger sample size and gender‐independent recruitment of participants, are essential to enhance the reliability of the findings because some of the results did not provide sufficient ESs or power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To improve the reliability of sensory evaluation, it is necessary to minimize response bias. In this study, we investigated the effect of a warm‐up sample on time–intensity evaluation of after‐flavor. Untrained panelists evaluated continuously perceived intensity of bitterness and retronasal aroma, using four types of samples (two brands of coffee beverages × two types of lids). Half of participants evaluated bitterness intensity in the first session and retronasal aroma intensity in the second session, whereas the other half evaluated them in the opposite order. Each session consisted of four trials, and we regarded the first trial sample of each session as a warm‐up. Results revealed that perceived intensity was significantly lower in the first trial than in the following trials, and that the time courses of the second, third, and fourth trials were similar except when participants evaluated bitterness intensity in the second session. In other words, the use of a warm‐up sample stabilized the performance of time–intensity evaluation of bitterness and retronasal aroma in the first session. Furthermore, no warm‐up sample was needed in the second session when participants evaluated bitterness intensity, but a warm‐up was needed when they evaluated retronasal aroma intensity. Practical application: Based on the results of this study, we concluded that the use of a warm‐up sample stabilized performance in time–intensity evaluation of after‐flavor by untrained panelists. We proposed that in order to obtain reliable performance in time–intensity evaluation of after‐flavor, untrained panelists should be provided a training trial using warm‐up sample before staring the test trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most cases, a meal cannot be finished with a single bite and sip. During eating and drinking, consumers receive dynamic food perceptions from sensory attributes in foods. Thus, we performed multi-sip time⁻intensity (TI) evaluation of sensory attribute. In each of ten trials, the participant evaluated continuously the intensity of retronasal aroma for 60 s after swallowing oolong tea. We compared the TI parameters ( I max : maximum intensity, T max : time point at which intensity reached the maximum value, AUC : area under the TI curve, D plateau : duration between the first and last time points with values exceeding 90% of the maximum intensity, R inc : rate of intensity increase between the first time points with values exceeding 5% and 90% of the maximum intensity, and R dec : rate of intensity decrease between the last time points with values exceeding 5% and 90% of the maximum intensity) and TI curves among the ten trials, and approximated each TI curve with an exponential model. Some TI parameters ( I max , T max , AUC , and R inc ) differed significantly between the first and subsequent trials. The TI curve was significantly lower in the first trial than in the subsequent trials, and TI curve during the time from starting the evaluation to reaching maximum intensity was significantly lower in the second trial than in the subsequent trials. The time constant of the fitted exponential function revealed that the decay of retronasal aroma intensity was slightly faster in the second through fourth trials than in the first and the fifth through tenth trials. These results indicate that olfaction might be more perceptive while consumers sip a cup of the beverage.