Neuroscientific understanding of food perception in aging and its application to food development

Population aging necessitates a scientific understanding of age-related changes in taste perception and nutritional intake. This review synthesizes neuroimaging evidence to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying age-related alterations in taste and reward processing. Key findings reveal that aging preserves early sensory relay at the brain- stem and thalamic levels but reduces cortical-level multisensory integration efficiency. The brain compensates through adaptive neural network reorganization, recruiting broader networks to maintain hedonic evaluation. Importantly, aging affects homeostatic processing asymmetrically, as hunger responses remain preserved across the lifespan, while satiety signal processing significantly weakens with age. These changes are dynamically modulated by metabolic health status. Based on these neuroscientific insights, we propose brain-centered food development strategies that employ odor-induced taste enhancement and multisensory integration mechanisms. This approach enables reduction of sodium and sugar content while maintaining satisfactory flavor perception, thereby providing a viable pathway to ensure nutritional safety and quality of life in aging populations.