Paris: British hospitals use red trays in a programme to combat malnutrition, but may have chosen the worst possible colour, according to a study linking the tinge of tableware to food enjoyment.
Researchers from the University of Oxford contributed data to the growing body of evidence that the colour, size, weight and shape of eating utensils, cups and plates have a big influence on what people taste.
Their findings on cutlery tally with previous research for crockery colours, including the discovery that red tends to limit food intake, they said.
“Red could…be used to serve food to people who need to reduce their food intake, but should certainly not be used for those who are underweight,” the team wrote in the journal Flavour.
British hospitals use red trays to make it easier for nurses to identify people who need help eating.
“Red appears to be the worst possible tray colour…for those individuals who are being encouraged to eat more,” the researchers warned.
In a series of experiments, the team used utensils of different colours, shapes and weight to gauge the impact on the perceived taste of the same food among dozens of volunteers with normal vision.
“How we experience food is a multisensory experience involving taste, feel of the food in out mouths, aroma and the feasting of our eyes,” the authors wrote in a statement.
“Even before we put food into our mouths our brains have made a judgement about it,” which affects our overall experience.”
No comments:
Post a Comment