Stronger smell linked to smaller bites

A new way to control portion size and cut down on calories is to choose food that smell good. In fact, a new study published in the new journal "Flavour" has found that the aroma of food may affect how much we eat. Their findings showed that bite size was reduced according to aroma intensity, the stronger the aroma, the smaller the bite size (5 to 10 % smaller). Small bite size are known to increase satiety and hence help in weight control. This was explained by the hypothesis that consumer self-regulate their sensations via bite size, whereby weak sensations are intensified via larger bite sizes and stronger sensations are weakened via smaller bite sizes.

"Insight into the dynamics of bite size regulation may not only be relevant from a theoretical point of view, but may also assist in the development of foods that are more satiating and are therefore consumed in smaller quantities. Given this objective, the use of aromas to affect bite size is particularly interesting since these can be manipulated without raising the caloric content of the food."

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