Maëlle Gouton: Tasting and Immersion in Virtual Reality

Instinctively, we know... even if the recipe is the same, the taste of your favourite tea or cake does not have the same effect at work or in your living room. In that case, how can food be assessed in a well-defined context? Maëlle Gouton’s thesis “Immersion for tasting in an environment controlled by virtual reality (IMM-EXPER)” at the Paris-Saclay Food and Bioproduct Engineering laboratory (SayFood Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech) is using virtual reality to address this issue.

Tell us about your thesis subject.

My core subject is sensory analysis and consumer research where we explore eating behaviour and food-perception mechanisms. It is widely accepted that context plays a role in food perception. The aim of my thesis is to understand whether virtual reality is a relevant tool for creating context in sensory analysis: is the consumer testing the product immersed in a defined context?

What is the context for your subject?

Taste is an important element for our diet. We don’t consume products we find unpleasant. For example, one of the major challenges currently facing the food industry is to encourage consumers to have healthy eating habits: sensory analysis helps us to reconcile this aspect with product flavours.

Why did you choose this subject for your thesis?

I am an epicurean and we often have to taste what we are testing! More seriously, when I was young, my parents took me to exhibitions that popularised science. Sometimes there were tastings. When I began to study the food industry, I rediscovered sensory analysis and decided to explore it further.

What do you intend to do after your thesis?

I am fascinated by food generally, so I am sure I will stay in the field. But in my opinion, the skills I am developing during my thesis are my force and they can be applied in several fields. Otherwise, I will assess opportunities as they arise. A work-life balance is very important to me.