The sound of sweetness: effects of packaging opening sound pitch on sweetness perception and product evaluation

Auditory cues associated with food packaging can influence taste perceptions and product evaluations. This study examines whether perceived sweetness and product evaluations of biscuits can be modulated by the pitch of packaging-opening sounds. Additionally, the study includes biscuits with high, medium, and low sweetness levels to test whether auditory effects vary depending on the intrinsic sweetness of the product. A between-subjects experiment was conducted in which participants evaluated biscuits after hearing either a high- or low-pitched packaging-opening sound. Results demonstrate that high-pitched sounds can enhance sweetness perception and improve product evaluations, but these effects vary across sweetness levels and are strongest for medium-sweetness biscuits. For high- and low-sweetness biscuits, the influence of sound is attenuated. These findings indicate that auditory packaging cues can influence consumer sensory perception. Implications for future research, the development of multisensory packaging strategies, and applications in sensory and consumer experience design are discussed.