coffee light brown

New research suggests that changes in the color of cold-brewed coffee as seen through virtuality (VR) can have a profound affect on sensory perceptions.

Published earlier this month, the research led by experimental psychologist and Aarhus University (Denmark) assistant professor Qian Janice Wang along with a team from the University of York (UK) may have practical applications for food and beverage companies. It also highlights ways in which virtual reality might be used to scale up or enhance multisensory research.

The study involved 32 people who volunteered by word of mouth at a University of York computer lab. Each participant was asked to wear a VR headset then given two different Califia Farms cold brews in succession. Both of the cold brews were served “black” — i.e., without creamer — in the real world, with two different sweetness levels through the addition of sucrose.

As the subjects tasted the coffees in the physical world, their VR…



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