Cross-Modal Interactions Between Taste and Smell

Flavor perception is a multisensory phenomenon that emerges from the integration of gustatory, olfactory, and supplementary sensory inputs. Rather than operating in isolation, the gustatory and olfactory systems interact closely to produce the intricate and nuanced experience commonly described as flavor. This article examines the interplay between taste and smell, considers how additional sensory modalities modulate flavor, and summarizes the neural mechanisms that underlie these cross-modal effects.

Integration of Taste and Smell

Taste and smell are fundamentally connected in the construction of flavor. The gustatory system conveys primary qualities—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami—while olfaction provides the complex aromatic information that often determines the identity and hedonic character of foods. For example, the sweetness associated with a strawberry is influenced not only by its sugar concentration but also by its characteristic fruity aroma, an effect attributed to odor-induced taste enhancement (Delwiche, 2005). In such cases, olfactory cues that are congruent with gustatory stimuli amplify perceived taste intensity (Nasri et al., 2011).

Empirical evidence indicates that even when odor or taste stimuli are presented at subthreshold concentrations—levels insufficient to be consciously detected individually—their combination can yield a discernible flavor percept, implying a synergistic interaction between these modalities (Delwiche & Heffelfinger, 2005). This integrative process is particularly salient in retronasal olfaction: volatile compounds liberated during mastication travel from the oral cavity to the olfactory epithelium, thereby contributing substantially to flavor experiences (Small & Prescott, 2005).

Influence of Other Senses

Flavor perception is not restricted to taste and smell; it is modulated by visual, tactile, and auditory information as well. Such multisensory modulation demonstrates the brain’s capacity to combine diverse sensory signals into a coherent perceptual whole.

• Vision: Visual properties of food, including color, shape, and presentation, shape taste expectations and can alter perceived flavor. For instance, beverages colored red are frequently judged as sweeter than identical clear beverages, a visual–taste interaction frequently exploited in product design and marketing (Biswas et al., 2021).
• Texture: Oral somatosensory input, commonly referred to as mouthfeel, strongly influences flavor judgments. Creamy textures tend to enhance perceptions of richness and sweetness, whereas crisp or crunchy textures may augment sensations of freshness and satisfaction (Auvray & Spence, 2008).
• Sound: Auditory cues associated with consumption—such as the crunch of a chip or the effervescence of a carbonated drink—contribute to the multisensory eating experience. These sounds can affect perceived crispness, freshness, and even the intensity of flavor (Spence, 2015).

Together, these cross-modal influences highlight the complexity of flavor perception and underscore the importance of considering multiple sensory channels in both sensory science and food product development.

Neurological Basis of Cross-Modal Effects

At the neural level, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is a principal locus for integrating multisensory inputs relevant to flavor perception. The OFC receives convergent afferents from gustatory, olfactory, visual, and somatosensory systems, enabling the synthesis of diverse sensory information into unified percepts (Rolls, 2005). Neuroimaging investigations have demonstrated OFC activation during flavor experiences and implicate this region in the assessment of food-related reward value, thereby linking sensory input with affective and motivational processes (Small & Prescott, 2005).

This pattern of neural convergence accounts for why flavor is more than the additive sum of its constituent sensations: flavor perception is dynamic and context dependent, shaped by sensory congruency, expectation, and prior learning. Such principles are critical for understanding consumer responses to foods and for designing interventions that modify eating behavior through multisensory cues.

References

• Auvray, M., & Spence, C. (2008). The multisensory perception of flavor. Consciousness and Cognition, 17(3), 1016–1031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2007.06.005
• Biswas, D., Labrecque, L. I., & Lehmann, D. R. (2021). Effects of sequential sensory cues on food taste perception: Cross-modal interplay between visual and olfactory stimuli. Journal of Consumer Psychology. Available on ResearchGate

• Delwiche, J. F. (2005). Cross-modal additivity of taste and smell. Journal of Sensory Studies, 20(6), 512–525. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-459X.2005.00047.x
• Delwiche, J. F., & Heffelfinger, A. L. (2005). Cross-modal summation of taste and odor. Journal of Sensory Studies, 20(6), 512–525.
• Nasri, N., Beno, N., Septier, C., Salles, C., & Thomas-Danguin, T. (2011). Cross-modal interactions between taste and smell: Odour-induced saltiness enhancement depends on salt level. Food Quality and Preference, 22(7), 678–682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2011.05.001
• Rolls, E. T. (2005). Taste, olfactory, and food texture processing in the brain and the control of food intake. Physiology & Behavior, 85(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.04.012
• Small, D. M., & Prescott, J. (2005). Odor/taste integration and the perception of flavor. Experimental Brain Research, 166(3–4), 345–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-005-2376-9
• Spence, C. (2015). Multisensory flavor perception. Cell, 161(1), 24–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.03.007