Consumer emotional response to nutritional labels in the context of cake selection

Food's appearance, flavour, aroma, and presentation all contribute to a sensory experience that can stick in your memory. Food is now an art form that communicates values, narratives, and cultural identity and is a source of nourishment. However, these days, elements like nutritional makeup and the availability of healthier substitutes are now significantly impacting visitors' decisions. This change results from people's shifting eating patterns and increased interest in leading more nutritious lives. Modern gastronomy must balance aesthetic, taste, and health considerations to meet sustainability and quality standards. This change presents a chance to reinterpret the culinary experience and reaffirm its applicability in the contemporary world. This study uses face reading to examine how knowledge about the nutritional makeup of cakes affects people's emotional reactions. Even though this knowledge can only slightly reverse consumer decisions, the data indicate that it considerably alters emotional responses. Even minor emotional changes can substantially impact consumers’ preferences regarding a product. Purchasing decisions made during shopping are strongly influenced by emotions. This impulsive behavior often does not align with selecting healthy food options. In this study, visual attractiveness was evaluated using biometric measurement, specifically eye tracking, in addition to declarative methods. The study verifies a congruence in consumer preferences by utilizing heat maps to compare conscious evaluations with biometric data on visual attention. A detailed analysis of customer behavior, combining eye gaze tracking and emotion analysis, provides a more comprehensive understanding of decision-making processes. The findings indicate that front-of-pack labelling is crucial in shaping product preferences, as demonstrated through facial expression analysis and eye movement tracking. These insights can contribute to more effective marketing strategies and improved health-oriented product presentation.