Oral Food Perception and the Development of Food Preferences: Innate and Learned Factors

Human food preferences develop through both innate and learned mechanisms, which operate differently across individuals, leading to variability in food acceptance. Genetic polymorphisms and copy number variations have been identified for sensory receptors, proteins and neurotransmitters, among others, which may explain individual differences in oral food perception and, ultimately, in food preferences. In addition, learning from accumulated food sensory experiences and corresponding responses plays a key role in the process of food acceptance. Pre- and postnatal conditioning, for instance, is known to determine the affective value of foods. This chapter starts with a description of how food sensory signals are integrated in the brain, followed by an overview of the innate (genetic) factors responsible for variations in food sensory perception and preference development. Finally, it critically reviews how learning through different experiences during prenatal and postnatal life equally contributes to shaping individuals’ food acceptance.