International Journal of Environment, Engineering, and Education
Vol. 8 No. 3 (2026)

Electrode-Level EEG Assessment of Sequential Taste and Packaging Exposure in Processed Foods: An Exploratory Study

Harish Velingkar (Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Agnel Institute of Technology & Design, Assagao, India)
Roopa R. Kulkarni (Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Dayananda Sagar Academy of Technology & Management, Bengaluru, India)
Prashant P. Patavardhan (Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, RV Institute of Technology & Management, Bengaluru, India)



Article Info

Publish Date
02 Sep 2026

Abstract

This study examined whether sustained electrode-level neural signals differentiate successive stages of a commercial food encounter and whether response patterns vary by gender. Fifty adults (25 male, 25 female; 20–40 years) completed a fixed protocol comprising a composite baseline, post-ingestive viewing of a branded product while residual flavor remained, later viewing of the same product under a recall instruction, and viewing of an unrelated snack product. Signals were acquired from eight scalp channels using a portable system, filtered at 0.5–45 Hz, notch-filtered at 50 Hz, common-average referenced, and aggregated into participant-level mean device-native amplitudes. Electrode-specific 4 × 2 mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVAs tested Condition, Gender, and their interaction; Greenhouse–Geisser correction addressed sphericity violations, and Benjamini–Hochberg adjustment controlled the false discovery rate. Condition effects were significant at all eight electrodes (all q ≤ 0.028), with partial ηp² ranging from 0.073 at O1 to 0.523 at C3 and the largest effects at C3, C4, and F4. Baseline-to-post-ingestive viewing yielded the broadest adjusted paired differences. Neither the Gender main effect nor the Condition × Gender interaction remained significant after correction, while individual trajectories showed marked heterogeneity. Portable low-density recordings therefore detected sequence-associated sensor-level differentiation across the protocol. Because condition was confounded with serial position, the baseline combined eye states, package stimuli were unmatched, amplitudes were uncalibrated, and behavioral validation was absent, the findings do not establish causal effects of flavor, product identity, recall, preference, cortical source, or consumer choice. Randomized, counterbalanced, behaviorally validated, and higher-density replication is required.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijeedu

Publisher

Subject

Civil Engineering, Building, Construction & Architecture Computer Science & IT Education Electrical & Electronics Engineering Engineering Environmental Science

Description

The International Journal of Environment, Engineering, and Education [e-ISSN: 2656-8039] is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that is published three times a year [in April, August, and December]; this journal provides the right platform for authors to update their knowledge, information, and ...