CULTSENSE-FOOD - Exploring global food perception: Cross-cultural insights in sensory description and preference

The CULTSENSE-FOOD project, coordinated by the University of Gastronomic Sciences and supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, integrates harmonized data on cross-cultural consumer sensory perception and liking into the Periodic Table of Food Initiative global platform to promote healthier and more sustainable diets.

The project was created to answer a fundamental question: how does the chemical composition of food influence what we feel and experience when we eat, especially based on our culture? Today, science thoroughly understands food molecules, but we still know too little about how these translate into tastes, aromas, and preferences in different parts of the world. People from different countries can perceive and appreciate the exact same food in completely different ways due to their own sensitivity, habits, and the language they use to describe flavors. For this reason, the project aims to connect food chemistry with real human perception on a global scale for the first time, inserting this valuable information into a large international database called the Periodic Table of Food Initiative.

Leading this scientific challenge is the Sensory Behavior and Cognition (SBC) Lab of the University of Gastronomic Sciences, which will coordinate the work of two other partner laboratories located in two different non-European continents. Together, the three centers will study between 40 and 50 food products, chosen both for their variety and their cultural importance in the diets of different populations. The work will take place on two tracks: on one hand, experts from the Italian laboratory will analyze the foods in a precise and objective way thanks to a group of trained professional tasters; on the other hand, everyday consumers will be involved in all three participating countries. Through sensory tests and a common digital platform, consumers will taste the foods to express their liking and describe their perceived characteristics quickly and spontaneously.

Thanks to this approach, the project will create an archive capable of linking scientific food data to the preferences of consumers across different continents. By overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers, CULTSENSE-FOOD will offer clear and concrete guidance for creating and promoting foods that are not only healthy and environmentally friendly, but also close to people's traditions. The project will be constantly monitored through specific goals and careful management of the translation of sensory-related terms. To ensure maximum transparency and utility, all collected data will be free, open, and accessible to scientists and professionals worldwide. This important initiative requires a contribution from the Rockefeller Foundation to support the specialized staff of the Italian laboratory, while practical expenses will be co-financed by the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo. The two international laboratories that will complete the network will be chosen shortly in close cooperation with the Rockefeller foundation.

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