The Influence of Food Colors on Emotional Perception and Consumer Acceptance: A Sensory and Emotional Profiling Approach in Gastronomy

Food color is a powerful determinant of consumer perception, influencing emotions, taste expectations, and hedonic responses. This study examined the impact of red, yel-low, and blue plating colors on emotional responses, acceptance, and taste associations. Emotional descriptors were defined through two focus groups (n = 17) and validated in a consumer study with 295 participants (63.4% female, 35.3% male). Three col-or-dominant samples were evaluated online using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA), Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA), and a nine-point hedonic scale. The red sample achieved the highest acceptance (7.27), followed by the blue sample (7.03) and the yellow sample (6.82) (p < 0.05). Red was strongly associated with positive RATA terms, such as pleas-ant (3.90) and with pleasure (2.95), while blue elicited negative responses, including disgusted (72%) and no appetite (74%). Pearson correlations confirmed pleasant (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) and with pleasure (r = 0.58, p < 0.001) as key acceptance drivers, while dis-gusted (r = –0.29, p < 0.001) acted as a rejection cue. Correspondence analysis explained 68% of the variance, and Partial Least Squares Regression highlighted pleasant (VIP = 1.86) as the strongest predictor of liking. Tableware (≥4.25) and plating arrangement (≥ 4.31) also significantly shaped emotional perception. These results demonstrate that plating colors have a critical influence on consumer emotions and acceptance, offering practical insights for multisensory gastronomy and food design. Overall, the study suggests that plating color can be effectively leveraged in gastronomy and product de-velopment to enhance consumer emotions and acceptance, providing valuable guid-ance for multisensory food design.