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Wednesday, October 22
2-2:50pm
Location: Casanova 605
Flavor and Food Preference
We are accustomed to saying, “I like the taste of chocolate, or I
like the taste of pizza.” But what we really should be saying is, “I
like the flavor of those foods.” Flavor results from a combination of
sensory inputs - the two main components are taste (gustation) and smell
(olfaction). The liking or disliking of tastes such as sweet and bitter
is largely genetically determined and can be demonstrated at birth. In
contrast, flavor preferences (e.g., cilantro, peach, caramel) are
primarily learned.
Speaker:
 Marcia Levin Pelchat, Ph.D., is an associate
member at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, an independent non-profit
basic research institute in Philadelphia. Her major research
interest is the development and modification of food and beverage
preferences in humans. Recent investigations focus on brain mechanisms
for food cravings, how cravings are learned, and the distinction between
liking and wanting. Other research interests include ameliorating
rejection of novel foods, taste genetics, food preferences in the
elderly and adult picky eaters. Dr. Pelchat is a Phi Beta Kappa, Summa
cum Laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and also received
her doctorate from Penn’s department of psychology. She has given talks
and presentations to scientific and culinary groups throughout the
world, has published numerous papers in scientific journals, and has
served on the boards of the local chapters of the American Institute of
Wine and Food and of Les Dames d’Escoffier. Dr. Pelchat is on the
editorial board of the journal Appetite and is an honorary
professor of gastronomy at the Restaurant School in Philadelphia.
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