Immersive Technologies in Consumer Food Experience
Summary
Immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and multisensory systems are reshaping consumer food experiences by enveloping users in digitally enhanced environments that closely mimic real‐world contexts. By integrating visual, auditory, haptic and olfactory cues with traditional sensory evaluation, researchers can probe how environmental factors influence flavour perception, emotional responses and purchasing behaviour. These technologies allow the creation of simulated dining venues—ranging from restaurants and supermarkets to natural landscapes—that enhance ecological validity and engagement in sensory studies while maintaining experimental control. The application of immersive platforms extends from product development and consumer testing to behavioural nudges aimed at promoting sustainable consumption. For example, virtual representations of production processes and consumption scenarios can educate consumers about environmental impacts, reinforcing positive choices. Haptics and soundscapes further augment flavour expectations, enabling multisensory flavour augmentation without altering chemical composition. Collectively, these approaches advance understanding of crossmodal interactions, inform marketing and retail design, and support public health initiatives by modelling interventions in controlled yet lifelike settings. As hardware becomes more affordable and accessible, immersive methods are poised to become integral to both academic research and industry practice, offering a transformative lens on how context governs the way we perceive, enjoy and select food.
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Immersive Technologies in Consumer Food Experience publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in immersive technologies in consumer food experience across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ecological validity: The extent to which experimental findings generalise to real‐world contexts.
Immersive technologies: Digital systems that create enveloping sensory environments to engage multiple modalities.
Virtual reality (VR): A fully synthetic digital environment experienced through headsets and interactive devices.
Extended reality (XR): An umbrella term encompassing VR, augmented reality and mixed reality experiences.
Presence: The subjective sense of “being there” within a virtual or simulated environment.
References
- Recreating digital context: navigating the future of food sensory studies through recent advances and applications. Current Opinion in Food Science (2024).
- Virtual reality sensory analysis approaches for sustainable food production. Applied Food Research (2025).
- Getting started with virtual reality for sensory and consumer science: Current practices and future perspectives. Food Research International (2021).
- Multisensory Technology for Flavor Augmentation: A Mini Review. Frontiers in Psychology (2018).
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