Textural characteristics and color analyses of 3D printed gluten-free pizza dough and crust.

A new methodology was developed to print pizza dough with a gluten free flour blend or commercial gluten whole wheat flour using extrusion-based 3-D printing technology. Their physical properties were compared to commercially available pizza dough and crust. The optimized nozzle size, print speed, ingredient flow speed, and line thickness for the 3-D printing of pizza dough were: 0.04 cm, 800 cm/minutes, 1.8, and 0.34 cm, respectively. The printed gluten-free pizza dough required 120 min of fermentation to obtain a comparable color and textural profile (P < 0.05) to that of the gluten whole wheat flour dough fermented for 60 min. The 3-D printed gluten free, whole-wheat pizza and commercially available wheat flour dough and standard crusts demonstrated identical Δ E ab ∗ values of 0.14 and 0.13, respectively with brownness index (BI) values of 1.47 and 1.62, respectively. Textural profile analysis (TPA) of 3-D printed gluten free and whole wheat pizza dough, crust and the commercial standard wheat flour pizza dough and crust demonstrated significant (P < 0.05) correlations in terms of hardness, fracturability, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and resilience. An optimized method was developed to prepare gluten-free pizza dough and crust with similar functional properties to that of gluten whole wheat flour dough and crust.

Sensitivity to sweetness correlates to elevated reward brain responses to sweet and high-fat food odors in young healthy volunteers.

Taste sensitivity relates to food preferences and macronutrients intake. The current study investigated whether the neural responses to food odors varied in sensory quality (sweet or non-sweet) and their associations with macronutrient content (high- or low-fat) in young healthy participants varied in sweet taste sensitivity. Thirty-eight participants were assessed for their sensitivity to sucrose solutions using a modified "taste strip" test. They were divided into high sweetness sensitive (HS, n â€‹= â€‹15) and low sweetness sensitive (LS, n â€‹= â€‹15) groups using the median split approach. Brain responses to four food-related odors (chocolate, peach, peanut, and bread) and one non-food odor (rose) were assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Preferences for tastes and macronutrients were measured using a computer-based task. Behavioral results showed that HS group, compared to LS group, had a higher preference for carbohydrate-dominated foods and liking for sweet foods, but a lower liking for protein-dominated foods. The food odors, in comparison to non-food odors, produced greater brain-activations in the gustatory and reward regions. Compared to LS group, the HS group showed a higher level of activation in the frontal inferior operculum in response to sweet vs. savory food odors, and stronger insular activations to high-fat vs. low-fat food odors. In addition, individual sweetness sensitivity was positively associated with activation of the insula in response to chocolate odor, suggesting an overlap of neural responses to food odor with high sugar and fat content. Our findings highlight that high sensitivity to sweetness can be associated with increased preference for carbohydrate-dominated or sweet foods, and elevated brain activations to sweet or high-fat food odors in the areas related to food reward processing.

Personality traits affect the influences of intensity perception and emotional responses on hedonic rating and preference rank toward basic taste solutions.

This study aimed at determining, based on independent predictors of taste intensity and emotional response, whether individual personality traits could affect prediction models of overall liking and preference rank toward basic taste solutions. Sixty-seven participants rated taste intensities (TI) of four basic-taste solutions at both low and high concentrations, and of plain water. Emotional responses toward each sample were measured using a self-reported emotion questionnaire (SE), facial expressions (FE), and/or autonomic nervous system responses (ANS). Participants rated overall liking of the samples and ranked their preferences. Based on the results of a hierarchical cluster analysis of five personality traits measured using the Big Five Inventory, participants were classified into two clusters: cluster N (high neuroticism) and cluster E (high extraversion). Results showed that the SE measure for both clusters N and E was better than the TI, FE, and ANS measures in explaining variances of overall liking or preference rank. A measurement of effect size found that using FE and/or taste intensity measures, along with self-reported emotion measure, could enhance model predictability of overall liking or preference rank toward taste samples for cluster N, while the contribution to the prediction model for cluster E was minimal. ANS measures showed little contribution to the prediction model of overall liking for either cluster. In conclusion, this study shows that personality traits, in particular traits of extraversion and neuroticism, affect not only optimum measures of emotional responses, but also modulate predicting overall liking and preference rank toward basic taste solutions.

Impacts of degree of milling on the appearance and aroma characteristics of raw rice.

BACKGROUND: Little has been reported about the sensory impact of degree of milling (DOM) on raw, uncooked rice. This study focuses on the effects of DOM, which was measured by surface lipid content (SLC), on appearance and aroma attributes of raw rice, as well as the appearance of cooked rice; greater DOM leads to lesser SLC levels. RESULTS: Milled-rice samples with SLCs of 0.64, 0.59, 0.42 and 0.25%, as well as brown rice (2.27% total lipid content), were evaluated by trained panelists on three appearance- and five aroma-related attributes of raw rice, as well as four appearance-related attributes of the resultant cooked rice. All milled-rice samples, varying in SLC level from 0.64% to 0.25%, differed from brown rice with respect to raw-rice and cooked-rice appearance and aroma attributes. A significant sensory difference among the four raw-rice samples was present only in the degree of whiteness; however, such a difference was absent once the samples were cooked. When cooked, highly milled rice (0.25% SLC) was rated glossier than either lightly milled rice (0.64% SLC) or brown rice. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that sensory impacts of DOM on raw rice were present between brown rice and milled-rice samples, but not among the milled-rice samples varying in SLC level from 0.64% to 0.25%. The overall findings indicate that consumers may not detect appearance- or aroma-related differences among raw-rice samples ranging in SLC from 0.64% to 0.25%. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Protein-rich beverage developed using non-GM soybean (R08-4004) and evaluated for sensory acceptance and shelf-life.

Protein beverages have been in demand due to an increasing consumers' interest in healthy eating habit. However, there is an increased concern on the use of genetic modified (GM) ingredient in the food product. This study aimed to develop protein hydrolysate beverages using a non-GM soybean (R08-4004/high protein line) grown in Arkansas. Protein isolate was prepared from the soybean using alkaline method (pH 9.5). Due to its poor solubility in acidic condition, alcalase 2.4 L (food grade protease) hydrolyzed soy protein was used to develop a beverage containing 20 g protein per serving (500 mL). Three flavored beverages: Chai tea (C), tangerine (T), and mixed berries (MB) were prepared using bitter blocker, masking agent, and citric acid to minimize an unpleasant bitter taste developed in the soy hydrolysates. Protein solubility, pH, microbial growth, instrumental color parameters, and turbidity were measured to evaluate the shelf-life stability of the beverages at refrigerated storage (5 °C) for 42 days. Beverages T and MB received overall highest scores from the sensory panel. Citric acid alone or in combination with bitter blocker or masking agent lowered the bitterness. Pasteurization (90-95 °C for 5 min) was effective in preventing microbial growth. Although pH remained constant, decrease in protein solubility and color changes were observed over the storage time in all the three flavored beverages. Cloudiness in beverage C increased over the storage period while beverages T and MB were very stable. Overall, T and MB flavored beverages have the potential for commercial application.

Variation in saltiness perception of soup with respect to soup serving temperature and consumer dietary habits.

Little is known about the effect of serving temperature on saltiness perception in food products such as soups that are typically consumed at high temperature. This study focused on determining whether serving temperature modulates saltiness perception in soup-base products. Eight trained panelists and 62 untrained consumers were asked to rate saltiness intensities in salt water, chicken broth, and miso soup, with serving temperatures of 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 °C. Neither trained nor untrained panelists were able to find significant difference in the saltiness intensity among salt water samples served at these five different temperatures. However, untrained consumers (but not trained panelists) rated chicken broth and miso soup to be significantly less salty when served at 70 and/or 80 °C compared to when served at 40 to 60 °C. There was an interaction between temperature-related perceived saltiness and preference; for example, consumers who preferred soups served at lower temperatures found soups served at higher temperatures to be less salty. Consumers who frequently consumed hot dishes rated soup samples served at 60 °C as saltier than consumers who consumed hot dishes less frequently. This study demonstrates that soup serving temperature and consumer dietary habits are influential factors affecting saltiness perception of soup.

Blue lighting decreases the amount of food consumed in men, but not in women.

Previous research has demonstrated that colors of lighting can modulate participants' motivation to consume the food placed under the lighting. This study was designed to determine whether the colors of lighting can affect the amount of food consumed, in addition to sensory perception of the food. The influence of lighting color was also compared between men and women. One-hundred twelve participants (62 men and 50 women) were asked to consume a breakfast meal (omelets and mini-pancakes) under one of three different lighting colors: white, yellow, and blue. During the test, hedonic impression of the food's appearance, willingness to eat, overall flavor intensity and overall impression of the food, and meal size (i.e., the amount of food consumed) were measured. Blue lighting decreased the hedonic impression of the food's appearance, but not the willingness to eat, compared to yellow and white lighting conditions. The blue lighting significantly decreased the amount consumed in men, but not in women, compared to yellow and white lighting conditions. Overall flavor intensity and overall impression of the food were not significantly different among the three lighting colors. In conclusion, this study provides empirical evidence that the color of lighting can modulate the meal size. In particular, blue lighting can decrease the amount of food eaten in men without reducing their acceptability of the food.

Sensory impact of chemical and natural antimicrobials on poultry products: a review.

Antimicrobial agents are added to poultry products after slaughter to prevent the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms and to extend the shelf-life of these products. Antimicrobials can be either natural or chemical, which may affect the sensory attributes at elevated concentrations, such as surface color, odor, flavor, taste, and texture of the poultry products. Thus, when selecting antimicrobials for use in poultry processing, it is vital to consider the antimicrobial-induced changes in sensory aspects from the consumers' perspectives. In spite of its importance, there has been no systematic review on the influences of antimicrobials on sensory aspects of poultry products. This paper reviews the major antimicrobial agents used in the poultry processing industry and their effects on sensory aspects of the poultry products.

Congruent sound can modulate odor pleasantness.

This study aimed to determine 1) whether certain background sounds can be matched with specific odors and 2) whether the background sounds can increase pleasantness for their congruent odors. In Experiment 1, congruent sounds increased odor pleasantness, but not odor intensity, significantly more than incongruent sounds. Experiment 2 demonstrated that certain background sounds can be paired with specific odors. For example, cinnamon, clove, and orange odors were rated significantly more congruent with a Christmas carol compared with the sound of brushing teeth and/or the beach sound. The congruent sounds increased odor pleasantness significantly more than incongruent sounds. Similarly, the congruent sound-induced odor pleasantness was observed in Experiment 3. As participants judged the pair of odor and sound to be more congruent, they rated the odor significantly more pleasant. Congruent sound assisted participants in identifying and in being familiar with the odor, thereby leading to an increase in odor pleasantness. However, the congruent sound-induced odor pleasantness was not obtained in all odors. In conclusion, this study provides new empirical evidence that pleasantness ratings for odors can increase in the presence of their congruent sounds.

Background music genre can modulate flavor pleasantness and overall impression of food stimuli.

This study aimed to determine whether background music genre can alter food perception and acceptance, but also to determine how the effect of background music can vary as a function of type of food (emotional versus non-emotional foods) and source of music performer (single versus multiple performers). The music piece was edited into four genres: classical, jazz, hip-hop, and rock, by either a single or multiple performers. Following consumption of emotional (milk chocolate) or non-emotional food (bell peppers) with the four musical stimuli, participants were asked to rate sensory perception and impression of food stimuli. Participants liked food stimuli significantly more while listening to the jazz stimulus than the hip-hop stimulus. Further, the influence of background music on overall impression was present in the emotional food, but not in the non-emotional food. In addition, flavor pleasantness and overall impression of food stimuli differed between music genres arranged by a single performer, but not between those by multiple performers. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that music genre can alter flavor pleasantness and overall impression of food stimuli. Furthermore, the influence of music genre on food acceptance varies as a function of the type of served food and the source of music performer.

Color and illuminance level of lighting can modulate willingness to eat bell peppers.

BACKGROUND: Food products are often encountered under colored lighting, particularly in restaurants and retail stores. However, relatively little attention has been paid to whether the color of ambient lighting can affect consumers' motivation for consumption. This study aimed to determine whether color (Experiment 1) and illuminance level (Experiment 2) of lighting can influence consumers' liking of appearance and their willingness to eat bell peppers. RESULTS: For red, green, and yellow bell peppers, yellow and blue lighting conditions consistently increased participants' liking of appearance the most and the least, respectively. Participants' willingness to consume bell peppers increased the most under yellow lighting and the least under blue lighting. In addition, a dark condition (i.e. low level of lighting illuminance) decreased liking of appearance and willingness to eat the bell peppers compared to a bright condition (i.e. high level of lighting illuminance). CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that lighting color and illuminance level can influence consumers' hedonic impression and likelihood to consume bell peppers. Furthermore, the influences of color and illuminance level of lighting appear to be dependent on the surface color of bell peppers.

Analytic-holistic cognitive styles affect consumer responses to food and beverage samples during sensory evaluation.

Recent studies have shown that the analytic-holistic theory is applicable in sensory science-related areas. Analytic and holistic cognitive style groups have been found to have significantly different perceptions and behaviors within food-related scenarios. These differences were further investigated and identified within the current study, focusing on specific areas of common sensory tests and analyses where analytic and holistic cognitive style groups may differ from one another. Before the main study, 419 volunteers were classified into three groups based on their scores to the Analysis-Holism Scale (AHS). The extreme groups (65 adults for each) were identified as the "analytic" and "holistic" cognitive style groups, respectively. Participants evaluated fruit-flavored beverages and fruit samples for their impression of the intensity or hedonic aspects in the study conducted over two sessions. Each session either employed solely category or line scale for the questions. Analyses focused on the analytic and holistic group comparisons in mean, variance, penalty analysis, and pre- and post-AHS score differences. Results showed that the holistic group exhibited significantly higher mean scores and standard deviations in the hedonic ratings of fruit samples than the analytic group did. Compared to the analytic group, the holistic group showed significantly smaller mean drops in overall liking across the five Just-About-Right (JAR) questions related to flavors or tastes of the mixed-fruit flavored water. A significant difference between the AHS scores measured before and after the sensory evaluation was observed in the holistic group, but not in the analytic group. In conclusion, our findings provide empirical evidence that cognitive styles affect consumer responses to food or beverage samples during sensory evaluation tasks. This implies that sensory professionals may consider these analytic-holistic contrasts while exploring consumer responses to their target samples.

A spatiotemporal comparison between olfactory and trigeminal event-related potentials.

The present study compared the temporal and spatial aspects of human olfactory and trigeminal processing. A relatively selective trigeminal stimulus, CO2, and a relatively selective olfactory stimulus, H2S, were delivered with an olfactometer to young, healthy volunteers. The analysis was performed in a classical (5-electrode, main ERPs peaks) and modern approach (high topographical resolution, inverse solution, source localization). Results of microstate segmentation highlighted 5 maps that generally described the two processes at cerebral level. The trigeminal response differed from the olfactory response up to 300ms after stimulus onset. In this time range, source analysis pointed out that the olfactory stimulation involved olfactory related areas, while trigeminal stimulation involved noxious/somatosensory specific brain areas. Moreover, from 300ms on our data showed a similarity between the two processes. Statistical parametrical mapping of the differences between conditions suggested greater activation in a specific motor/sniffing network for the CO2 stimulation (probably related to a regulation of the potential noxious stimulus) and a greater activation of the ipsilateral primary olfactory cortex for H2S.

A salty-congruent odor enhances saltiness: functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Excessive intake of dietary salt (sodium chloride) may increase the risk of chronic diseases. Accordingly, various strategies to reduce salt intake have been conducted. This study aimed to investigate whether a salty-congruent odor can enhance saltiness on the basis of psychophysical (Experiment 1) and neuroanatomical levels (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, after receiving one of six stimulus conditions: three odor conditions (odorless air, congruent, or incongruent odor) by two concentrations (low or high) of either salty or sweet taste solution, participants were asked to rate taste intensity and pleasantness. In Experiment 2, participants received the same stimuli during the functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. In Experiment 1, compared with an incongruent odor and/or odorless air, a congruent odor enhanced not only taste intensity but also either pleasantness of sweetness or unpleasantness of saltiness. In Experiment 2, a salty-congruent combination of odor and taste produced significantly higher neuronal activations in brain regions associated with odor-taste integration (e.g., insula, frontal operculum, anterior cingulate cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex) than an incongruent combination and/or odorless air with taste solution. In addition, the congruent odor-induced saltiness enhancement was more pronounced in the low-concentrated tastant than in the high-concentrated one. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the congruent odor-induced saltiness enhancement on the basis of psychophysical and neuroanatomical results. These findings support an alternative strategy to reduce excessive salt intake by adding salty-congruent aroma to sodium reduced food. However, there are open questions regarding the salty-congruent odor-induced taste unpleasantness.

Physicochemical analysis of wheat flour fortified with vitamin A and three types of iron source and sensory analysis of bread using these flours.

BACKGROUND: Wheat flour is increasingly being fortified worldwide with vitamin A and iron. Research on high levels of fortification is limited; therefore, in this study, wheat flour was made under controlled conditions fortified with vitamin A at 30 000 or 70 000 retinol equivalents (RE) kg⁻¹ and three types of iron source at 66 mg kg⁻¹. RESULTS: Milling produced a uniform distribution of fortificants with no significant separation during packaging or transportation. Chemical and physical analyses demonstrated that the dual fortified flours had acceptable physicochemical properties of mixing tolerance, pasting curves, damaged starch and falling numbers. The level of vitamin A fortification compensated for initial loss caused during wheat processing. Overall, white breads baked from seven treatments of fortified flour had only 22% (eight out of 36) of the sensory attributes as being significantly different. However, the type of iron source may play a key role in modulating the sensory attributes of bread baked from the dual fortified flour with vitamin A and iron. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that dual fortified flour with high or even lower levels of vitamin A and iron could be considered for food fortification programmes to reduce the prevalence of micronutrient undernutrition of vitamin A and iron in developing countries.

Effects of Age Group, Gender, and Consumption Frequency on Texture Perception and Liking of Cooked Rice or Bread.

This study aimed to determine whether and how three demographic factors-age group, gender, and consumption frequency-affect texture perception and liking of two staple foods-cooked rice and wheat bread. In total, 346 adults evaluated three cooked rice and four wheat bread samples in terms of three (hardness, stickiness, and chewiness) and four textural attributes (hardness, moistness, chewiness, and softness), respectively, on both 9-point intensity and 5-point Just-About-Right (JAR) scales. Liking of test samples was also rated on 9-point hedonic scales. Age group and gender differed in mean ratings, standard deviations, and JAR responses regarding textural attribute intensity and overall liking of test samples, while the effect of consumption frequency was minimal in this regard. Significant contributors of textural attributes to overall liking of cooked rice and wheat bread differed with age group, gender, and consumption frequency. Effects of age group, gender, and consumption frequency on texture perception and overall liking also varied with test samples. This study provides agricultural and food systems professionals with systematic evidence of how textural attribute perception and liking of foods can change based on demographics and test samples.

Impacts of Utensil Conditions on Consumer Perception and Acceptance of Food Samples Evaluated under In-Home Testing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Sensory professionals are looking for alternative ways to conduct laboratory sensory testing, especially central location testing (CLT), during the COVID-19 pandemic. One way could be conducting CLTs at home (i.e., in-home testing). It is questionable whether food samples under in-home testing should be presented in uniform utensils, as it does so under laboratory sensory testing. This study aimed to determine whether utensil conditions could affect consumer perception and acceptance of food samples evaluated under in-home testing. Sixty-eight participants (40 females and 28 males) prepared chicken-flavored ramen noodle samples and evaluated them for attribute perception and acceptance, under two utensil conditions, using either their utensils ("Personal") or uniform utensils provided ("Uniform"). Participants also rated their liking of forks/spoons, bowls, and eating environments, respectively, and attentiveness to sensory evaluation under each utensil condition. Results of the in-home testing showed that participants liked ramen noodle samples and their flavors under the "Personal" condition significantly more than under the "Uniform" condition. Ramen noodle samples evaluated under the "Uniform" condition were significantly higher in terms of saltiness than those evaluated under the "Personal" condition. Participants liked forks/spoons, bowls, and eating environments used under the "Personal" condition significantly more than those used under the "Uniform" condition. While overall likings of ramen noodle samples, evaluated under the "Personal" condition, significantly increased with an increase in hedonic ratings of forks/spoons or bowls, such significant correlations were not observed under the "Uniform" condition. In other words, providing uniform utensils (forks, spoons, and bowls) to participants in the in-home testing can reduce the influences of utensils on consumer likings of ramen noodle samples evaluated at home. In conclusion, this study suggests that sensory professionals should consider providing uniform utensils when they want to focus solely on consumer perception and acceptance of food samples by minimizing influences of environmental contexts, especially utensils, in the "in-home" testing.

Development and validation of a food-related analysis-holism scale (F-AHS).

Recent studies have indicated analytic-holistic cognitive style differences of consumers can significantly impact perceptions, opinions, and behaviors toward foods. Interestingly, these studies have also offered evidence that the sole measurement tool to assess analytic-holistic tendencies, the analysis-holism scale (AHS), may not accurately apply to food-experience-related research scenarios. Due to these notions, Studies 1 and 2 employed the use of 465 and 487 participants, respectively, to develop, refine, and finalize a food-related AHS (F-AHS) using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and prior research on analytic-holistic differences and scale development. Study 3 was conducted to validate the newly developed F-AHS, based on the results of Studies 1 and 2, by replicating the procedures and analyses from prior research while using the F-AHS instead of the AHS to segment participants (N = 130). The results of Study 3 provided consistent evidence that the F-AHS better separated participants into analytic and holistic groups than the AHS through larger analytic-holistic differences that more closely aligned with prior analytic-holistic research. Our findings showed that the F-AHS is capable of separating consumers into analytic and holistic cognitive style groups and is better suited to sensory and consumer-related applications than the AHS. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Our findings provide researchers with an optimized tool to separate consumers into analytic and holistic groups in food-experience-related situations. The food-related analysis-holism scale can then be used in both academia and industry to separate consumers based on cognitive style to better understand how and why consumers show variations in perception, acceptance, and behavior in food-related experiences.

The Effect of Response Conditions on Food Images-Evoked Emotions Measured Using the Valence × Arousal Circumplex-Inspired Emotion Questionnaire (CEQ).

In 2020, a single-response-based, valence × arousal circumplex-inspired emotion questionnaire (CEQ) was developed. Using a between-participants design, previous studies have found that a multiple response (MR) condition better discriminated test samples (e.g., written food names) based on their evoked emotions than a single response (SR) condition. This research, comprising Studies 1 and 2, aimed to determine the effect of response conditions (i.e., SR vs. MR) on emotional responses to food image samples, using a within-participants design. In Study 1, 105 Korean participants were asked to select a pair of emotion terms (i.e., SR condition) or select all pairs representing their evoked emotions (i.e., MR condition) from a list of 12 pairs of emotion terms of the CEQ, in response to the 14 food images. Both SR and MR conditions were tested within a remote (online) session. To minimize both a potential carry-over effect of the "within-participants design" and an influence of environmental factors in the remote testing, Study 2 asked 64 U.S. participants to do so over two separated sessions on two different days in a controlled laboratory setting. In both Studies 1 and 2, participants selected the CEQ's emotion-term pairs in the MR condition more frequently than in the SR condition, leading to the MR condition's higher capacity to discriminate test samples. While the configurations of the correspondence analysis biplots drawn in the SR and MR conditions were similar, those in the MR condition were more likely to be similar to the configurations of the principal component analysis biplots drawn from the ratings of valence and arousal for food image samples. In conclusion, this study provides robust empirical evidence that the MR condition can perform better in capturing sample differences in food-evoked emotions, while the SR condition is also effective in characterizing emotional profiles of test samples. Our findings will provide practical insights to sensory professionals, enabling them to effectively leverage the CEQ or its variants when measuring food-evoked emotions.

Influence of background noise on the performance in the odor sensitivity task: effects of noise type and extraversion.

Recent research demonstrated that background noise relative to silence impaired subjects' performance in a cognitively driven odor discrimination test. The current study aimed to investigate whether the background noise can also modulate performance in an odor sensitivity task that is less cognitively loaded. Previous studies have shown that the effect of background noise on task performance can be different in relation to degree of extraversion and/or type of noise. Accordingly, we wanted to examine whether the influence of background noise on the odor sensitivity task can be altered as a function of the type of background noise (i.e., nonverbal vs. verbal noise) and the degree of extraversion (i.e., introvert vs. extrovert group). Subjects were asked to conduct an odor sensitivity task in the presence of either nonverbal noise (e.g., party sound) or verbal noise (e.g., audio book), or silence. Overall, the subjects' mean performance in the odor sensitivity task was not significantly different across three auditory conditions. However, with regard to the odor sensitivity task, a significant interaction emerged between the type of background noise and the degree of extraversion. Specifically, verbal noise relative to silence significantly impaired or improved the performance of the odor sensitivity task in the introvert or extrovert group, respectively; the differential effect of introversion/extraversion was not observed in the nonverbal noise-induced task performance. In conclusion, our findings provide new empirical evidence that type of background noise and degree of extraversion play an important role in modulating the effect of background noise on subjects' performance in an odor sensitivity task.