Food scientists study factors that influence food selection, including sensory, nutritional, cultural, religious, psychological, sociological, and budgetary criteria. Sensory criteria such as taste, smell, texture are often most important, but can be influenced by other factors like color. Nutritional guidelines recommend balancing intake across food groups. Cultural and religious practices also shape diets. Psychological factors include marketing and attitudes towards technologies like GMOs. Budget constraints further impact food choices.

1. FOOD
SELECTION

2. Food Choices
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• Food scientists study:
– Why people eat
– What people eat
– Which food characteristics entice customers

3. Food Choices (cont’d.)
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• Factors that influence food selection
– Sensory
– Nutritional
– Cultural
– Religious
– Psychological and sociological
– Budgetary

4. Sensory Criteria
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5. Sensory Criteria (cont’d.)
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• Often the most important criteria for food
selection
• Senses can be deceiving
– Enriching the color of milk may result in
perceiving it as:
• Higher in fat
• Smoother in texture
• More flavorful

6. Sensory Criteria (cont’d.)
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• Odors classified into groups
– Six groups: spicy, flowery, fruity, resinous,
burnt, foul
– Four groups: fragrant, acid, burnt, caprylic
– Two groups: inedible vs. edible
– Groups can overlap

7. Sensory Criteria (cont’d.)
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• Five types of taste
– Sweet (chemical configuration of molecule)
– Sour (acids in foods)
– Bitterness (certain compounds in foods)
– Salty (ionized salts)
– Savory/umami (glutamate)

8. Sensory Criteria (cont’d.)
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• Factors affecting taste
– Genetics
– Age and sex
– Degree of hunger
– Temperature of food
– Color of food
– Time of day food is eaten
• Flavor = taste + aroma

9. Sensory Criteria (cont’d.)
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• Factors affecting touch
– Texture
– Consistency
– Astringency
– Chemesthesis

10. Nutritional Criteria
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• Obesity epidemic has led to new food
choices for many people
• Calories/kilocalories
– Calories (cal): a measure of energy
(correlated to heat)
– Kilocalories (kcal): a measure of food energy
– Calories are a unit of measure, NOT a
component of food

11. Nutritional Criteria (cont’d.)
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12. Nutritional Criteria (cont’d.)
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• Dietary Guidelines for Americans
– Published by the USDA & DHHA every five
years
• Most recent version: 2011
– Offers healthy guidelines for food intake
– Illustrated at www.choosemyplate.gov
• Newer version of food pyramid
• Pictorial representation of a plate
• SuperTracker

13. Nutritional Criteria (cont’d.)
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14. Nutritional Criteria (cont’d.)
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• Vegetarianism
– Followed by 3-4% of adult population; 15% of
college students
– Can reduce risk of:
• Heart disease
• Some cancers
• Diabetes mellitus
• Obesity
• High blood pressure

15. Nutritional Criteria (cont’d.)
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16. Nutritional Criteria (cont’d.)
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• Nutraceuticals
– Herbs, multivitamins, etc.
• Functional foods
– Foods eaten for health benefits
• Nutrigenomics
– Diet plans tailored to a person’s genes

17. Nutritional Criteria (cont’d.)
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18. Calorie Control: Calorie Balance
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• Estimated goal for maintenance
– Women: 1600 kcalories per day
– Men: 2400 kcalories per day
• Estimated guidelines per meal
– Women: three meals of 400 kcal + two snacks
of 200 kcal
– Men: three meals of 600 kcal + two snacks of
300 kcal

19. Calorie Control: Calorie Balance
(cont’d.)
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• Starvation:
– Women should not consume fewer than 1200
kcal per day
– Men should not consume fewer than 1600
kcal per day
• 1lb = 3500 calories
– Daily deficit of 500 kcal = 1lb lost per week

20. Cultural Criteria
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• Ethnic influences
• Place of birth
• Geography and climate
• Cultural influences on manners

21. Religious Criteria
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• Religions that promote vegetarianism
– Buddhism
– Hinduism
– Seventh Day Adventist
• Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism):
– Discourages alcohol, coffee, and tea
• Judaism: kosher practices
• Islam: halal practices

22. Religious Criteria (cont’d.)
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23. Psychological & Sociological Criteria
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• Food advertisements and social pressures
• Bioengineering
– Attitudes about genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) are largely societal
• Include allergies, gene contamination, and
religious/cultural concerns
• Food preferences
– Organic food
– Natural food
– Processed foods

24. Psychological & Sociological Criteria
(cont’d.)
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25. Budgetary Criteria
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• Budgets affect what is bought and how
often
• Time is also a consideration (i.e.,
convenience foods)

26. Chapter Summary
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• Criteria for choosing food
– Sensory (sight, odor, taste, and texture)
– Nutritional (choosemyplate.gov)
– Cultural and religious practices
– Psychological factors
– Budgetary concerns