Sweet liker status moderates the relationship between perceived stress and snack preference

Stress is known to influence eating behaviour, yet the mechanisms linking psychological stress and dietary choices remain unclear. Understanding how individuals' eating patterns in response to stress remains an important topic. Sweet Liker Status (SLS) a sensory phenotype describing individual differences in hedonic responses to sweetness, may help explain this variability. This study examined the interactions between perceived stress, SLS, and snack preferences in a sample of university students ( n = 219). Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, a computerised snack preference assessment (savoury vs. sweet snacks; ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’), and a sensory test to determine SLS. Among 175 participants with complete data, 28 were classified as Sweet Likers, 55 as Neutral, 61 as Sweet Dislikers, and 31 as Unclassified, following the published and updated analytical method. While perceived stress scores and overall snack choices did not significantly differ across SLS groups, multiple regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between perceived stress and SLS in predicting savoury snack choice. Specifically, the Neutral group showed a reduced preference for unhealthy savoury snacks as perceived stress increased, whereas Sweet Likers and Sweet Dislikers showed the opposite effect. These findings introduce a new perspective on how individual sensory perception interplays with stress and dietary behaviour, suggesting that variations in taste phenotype may shape one's eating patterns in response to stress. This highlights the need for future research to further explore sensory–psychological interactions in eating behaviour. • Neither Sweet Liker Status or perceived stress alone predicted snack choice in a forced-choice preference assessment. • The interaction between Sweet Liker Status and perceived stress predicted savoury snack choice. • Sweet Likers, Sweet Dislikers, and Unclassified had increased preference for savoury unhealthy snacks with increased stress, while Neutral participants showed the opposite pattern. • Sweet Liker Status can help us understand individual differences in eating responses to stress.