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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mei Peng

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Interests: with a background in experimental psychology, Mei uses a multi-disciplinary approach (behavioural, cognitive–neuro, physiological) to study inter- and intra-individual differences in sensory processing and its links to food-related behaviour and health issues, including obesity and depression
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to invite paper submissions to a Special Issue that focuses on the intriguing intersection of eating behaviour and chemosensory processes. The intricate relationship between human senses and eating behaviour represents an important ongoing subject in the area of sensory nutrition. Our Special Issue aims to collate high-quality original research papers or reviews that discuss the role of human senses in food-related behaviour, and reciprocally, potential impacts of individual diets on sensory functions. We welcome submissions that explore various dimensions, including, but not limited to:

How individual differences in sensory abilities may be linked to food choices or/and intake behaviour;
Neural or psychological mechanism connecting sensory processing with food-related decision making;
Innovative interventions that leverage sensory processing to promote healthy eating behaviour.

Contributions from diverse perspectives, methodologies and approaches are encouraged. We look forward to receiving your insightful contributions. Together, we will undoubtedly make major advances in this fascinating field.

Dr. Mei Peng
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

eating behaviour
food intake
senses
orosensory processing

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

14 pages, 803 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impacts of COVID-19 on Food Choices and Eating Behavior among New Zealand University Students

by Jessica C. McCormack and Mei Peng

Foods 2024, 13(6), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13060889 - 15 Mar 2024

Viewed by 796

Abstract

Extensive research suggests that COVID-19 infection can lead to persistent changes in taste and smell perception. These sensory changes have the potential to exert lasting impacts on dietary choices, nutrition, and body weight. This study aims to explore COVID-related shifts in dietary intake among New Zealand university students. We conducted a survey involving 340 university students who had experienced COVID-19 infection between 2022 and 2023. Participants reported any changes in eating behavior since before the pandemic and were asked to complete a 24-h food record. Participants’ total daily energy intake, macronutrient intake, and composition were then compared with data collected from a similar cohort before the COVID-19 pandemic, spanning from 2017 to 2019. Dietary outcomes were compared using MANCOVA while controlling for individual age, gender, ethnicity, and BMI. Approximately 25% of participants reported experiencing sensory alterations with COVID-19, with those participants more likely to report changes in their experience of sweet tastes but not salty or fatty foods. Analyses of the pre- and post-COVID cohorts revealed that participants in the post-COVID group exhibited significantly higher consumption of protein and sodium. Understanding the long-term impact of COVID-19 infection may offer crucial insights into the role of chemosensory perception in dietary behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensory Processing and Its Links to Food-Related Behavior)

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