Cross-sensory Effects on Taste Perception using Extended Reality

Taste perception is inherently multisensory, shaped not only by gustatory input but also by visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile cues. Using an immersive virtual reality (VR) restaurant, we investigated how environmental sensory features shape perceived taste intensity. Thirty participants sampled a constant, mildly flavored solution while visual (color, font), auditory (music), olfactory (scent), and tactile (texture) cues were systematically manipulated. Ratings of saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and umami revealed consistent cross-sensory effects: darker colors increased bitterness, orange and yellow enhanced sourness, folk music increased bitterness while rock, blues, and classical music enhanced sweetness. Scents had the strongest influence: candle and smoke increased both bitterness and sourness, while ocean had little effect. Fonts with irregular shapes and smooth textures also increased perceived saltiness. Practical ApplicationsThe present findings demonstrate that gustatory judgments are strongly shaped by the surrounding sensory environment, reinforcing the idea that taste is fundamentally multisensory. From an applied perspective, this suggests that flavor experiences can be modulated through environmental design rather than changes to the food itself. Visual elements (such as color and typography), auditory cues (music), olfactory context (ambient scent), and tactile properties (surface texture) may be strategically combined to enhance or suppress specific taste qualities, including sweetness, bitterness, and sourness. These insights are particularly relevant for sustainable food development, where sensory limitations, such as bitterness or off-flavors in plant-based products, often hinder consumer acceptance. Beyond food design, the results are relevant for consumer research, experiential dining, and virtual prototyping, illustrating how extended reality can be used as a controlled platform for testing and refining multisensory flavor interventions prior to real-world implementation.