Hypothesis (based on our research):

If the color of the drink is changed, then the participants will perceive its taste differently, affecting how their mind will react to it. This means that they will taste the lemonade slightly differently each time, which would change how much they like it. For colors like red, pink, brown and orange, the participants will feel that they are sweeter and fruitier, ranking them in the top 50%. For the other colors, like green, yellow, and blue, the participants will feel that they are “cooler” and more refreshing, ranking them based on the sweet and sour flavour balance.

General Research:

• A lot of the time, people judge their food by looks, and colour is a big part of it
  • Our brain subconsciously makes connections between certain colors and their “tastes.” While that food may not actually taste like that, people will be unwilling to try new things if they
• Some unattractive food colours are:
  • Black, black foods are not as common. People do not like to eat the colour black because usually food that’s turned bad(moldy or contaminated) is black or dark green, and also with burnt foods.
    • Green (unless in vegetables)
    • Blue, because it is very uncommonly seen in cooking or foods, except everyday blue foods like blueberries
• The brain perceives colours as specific tastes. For example, the colour red might be associated with sweetness or spiciness
• Common foods that have an unexpected colour that is different from their original colour or the colour they’re supposed to be also negatively impacts one’s appetite.
• Red = most appetizing flavour, seen as fruity and sweet
• Blue = unique and refreshing, cold
• Yellow = bright and “happy,” balanced sweetness and sourness
• Green = healthy (vegetables are mostly green), fruity or “nature-y”
• Orange = energizing and tropical

General Information:

Lot’s of times, people say that we “eat with our eyes,” because almost always, people judge their food based on looks before eating. The main factor that changes our opinion on a food’s flavour is the tone that we see.  More often than not, our subconsciousness presumes the taste of food based on its color or tint, linking it to different flavours and textures. Sometimes, our brain even uses the colors that we see and relates them to other colors. We chose this topic because we knew that we wanted to incorporate something psychological into our science fair project. Being people who loved to eat, we both were curious what aspects played into how people made their opinions about certain foods, specifically when it came to drinks. Since taste and flavour were obvious aspects, we really wanted to dive into how color affects a person’s perception of the drink, and how it can possibly overrule what the tastebuds actually perceive.

Most foods of the color black, dark brown, or dark green are not very favourable, and food with that color is likely to be avoided by instinct. When people come across black or green-ish food, they tend to associate it with molding or rotting, as it is an unusual color for food. On the contrary, foods that contain vibrant colors are often expected to be better tasting, as people can link those colors to many more flavours.However, it should be noted that our subconsciousness can change our opinion whether it is a food or a drink.

For our project, we decided to test how the color of a drink would affect a person’s perception of it, because foods come in so many different shapes, sizes, and genres, that it would be difficult to get a substantial and accurate picture of how the color could affect it. However, drinks, as liquids, can only come in one or two forms, which would give us a better understanding of how only the color can affect the perceived taste.  In drinks, the flavours are also expanded to a much wider range, as drinks come with almost unlimited possibilities, even if they are bad ones.

Background Research:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower  https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-023-02298-y?fromPaywallRec=false  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13411-015-0031-3#:~:text=Adding%20green%20food%20coloring%20decreased,for%20the%20detection%20of%20bitterness  https://metrobi.com/blog/how-does-color-affect-taste/?st_source=ai_mode#:~:text=Perceived%20flavor%20intensity%20is%20significantly,the%20actual%20flavour%20remains%20unchanged  https://thevarsity.ca/2025/09/21/the-multisensory-experience-of-eating/  Multisensory is involving multiple senses and memories when encountering a specific thing. This concept can be used in multiple ways and areas, and recently it has been implemented into education for younger students, teaching them things through all of their 5 senses. When it comes to both food and drinks, while it may seem like your tongue and taste buds do all of the work, what your eyes see before and during eating actually plays a significant role in what you

To understand exactly what we were experimenting with, we researched various websites about the background of color psychology and multisensory. Multisensory, the base of color psychology with food, is when the brain uses multiple senses when identifying and processing things around us. With foods and drinks, multisensory is when we use our sight, smell, and even touch to determine how we feel about a food. Even though our tongues make our final decision about whether or not we like the food, our brain's processing of the texture, smell, and especially color can influence whether or not we even try it at all!

MWhen it comes to drinks, one of the most important senses that we use to determine whether or not we like the drink is our eyes. Because drinks are generally more simple, our eyes rely mainly on color to figure out our opinion on the drink. For foods, multisensory could rely on shape, texture, size, color, smell, and so much more, so using drinks are the best way to figure out whether color actually plays a role in the taste. In addition, drinks are less likely to have their color affect their taste greatly, because most contain unflavoured dyes to give them their appearance. That fact actually helps us, however, because that will show that any change in the data is truly because of the color, because the drinks have no smell, no unique shape, and no actual flavouring to convince the participants.

https://kitchen-theory.com/the-perfect-meal-the-multisensory-science-of-food-and-dining/ 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329323002033 

https://tracegains.com/blog/food-and-color-what-does-it-all-mean/#:~:text=Color%20choices%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20food&text=Many%20studies%20suggest%20that%20visual,taste%20like%20lime%20or%20apple. As Red = most appetizing Blue = creative, unique Yellow = unique, happy Green = healthy b/c vegetables are mostly green, represents nature Orange = energy In packaging and foods, the color “Mocha Mousse”. This color shows up in many appetizing foods, such as ice cream, coffee, cake and other

https://www.foodunfolded.com/article/how-does-color-affect-the-way-we-eat

Whenever we look at food, we subconsciously judge the food’s taste, flavor, and even texture based on what we can see from the outside. When our brains make inferences about food and how it will taste, the main aspect that we take into consideration is its color or tint. Sometimes, the color of food will not only give us a hint to how it will taste, but it will also directly influence whether or not we enjoy it, despite whatever it may actually taste like. Studies have shown that even infants and toddlers, maybe even especially, have picked up on colors and their “taste,” changing their opinions on specific food and making it harder for them to try certain new things.

Our brains correlate colors and foods based on our past experiences and the environment around us. For example, if you have had green candy before and it tasted unpleasantly sour, it could potentially create hesitance when met with that same color again. While foods and drinks have slightly different color and flavour connections, eating or drinking a lot of a specific color of food or beverage could influence your decisions later on, especially when it comes to trying new foods. Sometimes, before we actually have an encounter with specific foods, especially at an early age, we can pick up how things may taste based on the colors and scents in nature. Many people know that most fruits and flowers come in bright, vibrant colors, giving them their sweet tastes and fresh scents in the case of flowers. Based on that alone, the brain can infer that drinks or sweets of those colors will likely taste sweet or refreshing, except for bright yellows, greens, and sometimes oranges. Because of that, the region that you live in can also influence your opinions on flavours. A test conducted by Professor Spence showed that Taiwanese participants expected a clear blue drink to taste like mint, while participants from the UK expected it to taste somewhat like raspberry or blueberry. Due to the differences in their environment, including plants, fruits, and flowers, the two countries had totally different perspectives on the nameless blue drink.

In some cases, color can also invalidate the actual taste of the food or beverage, because our brain’s former experience or link to the color is so strong that it overrules the signals that we actually get when tasting. An experiment conducted showed that white wine dyed red went completely unnoticed, as the subconsciousness of the brain caused the tasteless red dye added to the drink to seem like an entirely different drink. However, because color sometimes overrides the real taste, foods with unusual or outstanding colors can confuse our brain, and in turn, our taste buds. Most times, when there is food that contains a color that isn’t so common in that food, like green steak, people will draw away from it, their subconscious mind telling them that it probably will taste bad.

https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13411-015-0031-3#:~:text=Adding%20green%20food%20coloring%20decreased,for%20the%20detection%20of%20bitterness.

In everyday life, color is one of our most important of the five senses, as it can influence what we think, and how we react to specific things in our lives. Food is not discluded as color is one of the major leading factors that lead us to our conclusions about specific food. In countless experiments, scientists have found that the color, intensity, and saturation of food can all lead to our decisions about whether or not to eat or drink it, and it can even change based on whether we’re looking at a food or a drink. Just think, if you are looking at a menu that has pictures next to the food, or looking at a screen above a fast-food counter, how will you really know whether you like it or not, especially on your first time? While your memories of food also influence your choices, those memories of past experiences are often and probably based on colors as well, showing that color has a strong link to what types of food we prefer and choose.

Since color has such an important role in influencing our expectations of a specific food, when the taste is strong, but not related to the color, it can cause confusion and uncertainty, and it could possibly make a person hesitant to try that same food/drink again. Therefore, if the taste of the item is less significant or unique, then our brain’s subconsciousness tends to alter the taste in our mind, so that it is a little closer to what we were expecting. This can change among different age groups and different cultures, as your experiences and environment can affect how your brain subconsciously processes colors in relation to what’s in your mouth.

Along with color, people also expect the intensity or saturation of the item being ingested to how strong the flavour will be. If there was a pack of gummies with different colors, people may expect a soft, light yellow gummy to be only slightly tangy, but a bright, highlighter yellow gummy would probably be avoided as it would come off as intensely sour. The same is true for sugar, and scientists reported a 10% increase in perceived sweetness when conducting an experiment on the intensity of “sweet colors” on food. Sometimes, specific tastes that are linked with colors that don’t match can cause misinterpretation of food, which makes our brains sometimes unreliable sources of information.

In general, the way that people perceive their food based on color can rely on multiple factors: their age group, as certain people (especially those of young age) tend to be subject to mood/emotion changes from intense or sudden colors; the type of taste, because some specific genres of taste, like saltiness, aren’t affected as much by color; the type of color, since warm colors can inject different emotions than cool colors; and the way of which the food or beverage is first contacted, as it could change if dealt with orthonasally (through the nose) or retronasally (through the first taste).

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-food-colors-determines-taste-and-cravings?srsltid=AfmBOorfaGJHvSXCinpeAtAC6lf2GMEeiMB-1bWx9qaIVAX6V3Er609a 

No matter the situation, our opinions on food and drinks are mainly controlled by their color. When we first gaze upon something that we could potentially eat or drink, our brain immediately connects its color to how much we want to eat it, and our brain also decides how we feel about that food. In fact, there is research that shows that colorblind people are less likely to be picky due to their inability to know the true color of their food. Along with the color of the actual food, the packaging or the photograph for the marketing can also link to whether or not we are willing to eat the food. In general, unappealing colors like neon colors or dark murky colors like brown and green can influence whether or not we will give it a second thought. The reactions that we have to color come from multiple sources around us.

Key Term: Multisensory

Multisensory is involving multiple senses and memories when encountering a specific thing. This concept can be used in multiple ways and areas, and recently it has been implemented into education for younger students, teaching them things through all of their 5 senses. When it comes to both food and drinks, while it may seem like your tongue and taste buds do all of the work, what your eyes see before and during eating actually plays a significant role in what you

To understand exactly what we were experimenting with, we researched various websites about the background of color psychology and multisensory. Multisensory, the base of color psychology with food, is when the brain uses multiple senses when identifying and processing things around us. With foods and drinks, multisensory is when we use our sight, smell, and even touch to determine how we feel about a food. Even though our tongues make our final decision about whether or not we like the food, our brain's processing of the texture, smell, and especially color can influence whether or not we even try it at all!

When it comes to drinks, one of the most important senses that we use to determine whether or not we like the drink is our eyes. Because drinks are generally more simple, our eyes rely mainly on color to figure out our opinion on the drink. For foods, multisensory could rely on shape, texture, size, color, smell, and so much more, so using drinks is the best way to figure out whether color actually plays a role in the taste. In addition, drinks are less likely to have their color affect their taste greatly, because most contain unflavoured dyes to give them their appearance. That fact actually helps us, however, because that will show that any change in the data is truly because of the color, because the drinks have no smell, no unique shape, and no actual flavouring to convince the participants.

Conducting our Experiment (based on our research!):

In our experiment specifically, we plan on testing how the colors of drinks influence a person's perception of how it tastes. When it comes to beverages, colors like red and pink are presumed to be sweet or berry-tasting. Red is one of the most appetizing colors because it even triggers biological responses, sparking excitement with the likely taste of sweetness or ripe juiciness. Orange, yellow, and light greens are normally associated with sour due to their common occurrence with citrus fruits. Colors like dark green or blue can be confusing as they may be seen as bitter or almost tasteless, or they could vary from person to person. Dark green could be seen as herbal or minty, and blue, though uncommon in drinks, could be perceived as blue raspberry or coconut. Lastly, brown, purple, or any other dark colors could be seen as bitter or bland, especially as they are quite uncommon in drinks and usually avoided. Even though a beverage's taste could be entirely different from its presumed taste, its color can completely change people's ideas on that.

Our experiment will test just how strong the influence of color really is.

To test how much color influences a person's thoughts on it, our plan is to see how color can influence what a human thinks about a flavour before tasting it, and how it even affects their opinions on it after it. To effectively test this, we will be using a somewhat clear, tasteless drink dyed in multiple different colors. In our experiment, we will be using lemonade dyed different colors by food dye. The lemonade's flavour will be the same for all drinks, but the color will be changed with dye to influence what a person presumes it will taste like. Instead of using water, which has no taste, we are using lemonade because it has a mild taste that could be perceived differently from person to person. We will also slightly dilute the lemonade, to make sure the taste doesn't come off too strong or too distinct. Firstly, we will present all of the lemonade samples to each participant, allowing them to select which one they believe will taste the best. Then, that participant will be given a taste of each of the drinks, starting with the one that they believed they would like best. After tasting them all, the participant will rank the drinks in order from most to least favorite. Then, they will be told about the reality of the drinks after a blind taste test, and asked again which ones they believe to taste best. All the information will be recorded, and we will separate them into 2 or 3 tables to compare how each participant reacted during each stage.

To do this experiment properly, we will only allow for 1 sip of the lemonade to ensure that we get the participants first impression. Over time, drinking the same drink consistently can change your opinions if you focus too hard on it, and we just want to get the original impression that the participant gets from the drink.The color of each drink will not be directly stated to the participant, as it will make sure that they aren’t already thinking about the exact color, and we will get a true first impression. Instead there will be letter markings on each cup, so that only us as conductors know what each color is.

When recording our data from the experiments, we will make sure to pay attention to any trends or patterns that occur, hence asking the participants if they have any other comments about the taste that they would like to share. Once all of the data is collected, we will take an average for each category/aspect we tested. With the mean/median average, we will create 5 graphs: color vs. sweetness, color vs. sourness, color vs. blandness, color vs. intensity, and color vs. presumed flavour. Using this data, we will record any observations and links like flavor and sweetness or sourness, intensity and blandness, and especially sweetness or sourness and flavor.

We will need one of each type of data table for each participant, as one table acts as all of their surveys for each type of test combined. Therefore, each participant will use up 3 data tables, and we will calculate the average of all 3 tests for all participants into a final 3 data tables. For each drink sample, the average sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and intensity ratings will be calculated before graphed. For flavour guess and descriptions, we will just be collecting the most commonly guessed flavours and the most commonly used terms for description in the graphs.

Our Purpose:

Our hope is that this experiment will let us know four main things. Firstly, we want to find out which colors appear most appetizing in drinks. With this information, it could also be integrated into marketing and selling for consumers as drinks have a variety of tastes, and a box in a specific color will match closely to what people would think of that color in a drink. By allowing participants to choose their favorite drink only by sight, we can get a good idea of what colors or types of colors are more appealing and eye-catching, without scaring people off. Next, we want to also know how the color of something affects your opinion on it in the long-term. When each participant chooses their favorite before tasting it, we want to know if tasting it will make their opinion change or stay the same. Depending on whether it stays the same or not, we also need to know if knowing the truth about all the drinks will cause their opinion to change. During their final tasting, they will decide whether they all taste different or whether they now taste the same in their mind. Thirdly, we want to know their opinions on all the other colors, and what they associated each one with. We will use this information to see if they got the "flavours" correct, and why they didn't if they don't get it quite right. This information could also be used in marketing when packaging specific products, as it could hit more at what general flavour category it will be in. Lastly, we will observe which drinks are consumed the fastest and the most eagerly so we can determine which perceived "flavours" are more desirable. During the procedure, we will record notes, jot down data, and also get participants to give descriptions of what they think about each drink.

Manipulated Variable

In this experiment, the manipulated variable is the color of the lemonade being evaluated by the participant (red, blue, green, orange, brown, yellow, pink, clear.) Using dye, we will alter the color of each cup (excluding the control group) to see how their opinions of each drink changes even though they are all the same.

Responding Variable

This leads into the next variable. For this experiment, the responding variable is the comments and the ranking that the participant gives to each drink (survey.) After the first round of just taking a look at the drinks, the participant will fill out a prediction survey. Once they have tasted each of the drinks, they will also fill out a survey about what they noticed about each drink. After the blind drinking, they will fill out one last survey for each drink.

Controls

Controlled Variables

To keep the experiment accurate and fair, we also have a few controlled variables that must stay controlled for the experiment to work out. These variables include the type of lemonade, amount of lemonade per serving, temperature of the lemonade, amount of food coloring, type of cup, lighting, location of test, knowledge of lemonade color (none).

Control Group

Out of the 8 drinks presented, one of the cups will be "clear" of dye, left the lemonade's natural color. This plain cup will show that even after tasting all of the colored drinks, the mind may not be clear enough to even recognize the natural/original flavour.

Control Condition

For our experiment, we will have a control condition to act as proof that our experiments are proving some sort of point, and to clear up any doubts that our testing isn't valid. For this control group, we are doing a blind taste test, proving that not only do we have the same drink, but the answers based on the colored drinks are different from the answers during the blind taste test. We assume that the participants will have similar ratings during the blind test, showing how colors may change their ratings/perception.

Materials:

• Food Coloring (7)
  • Red
  • Blue
  • Green
  • Yellow
  • Orange
  • Brown
  • Pink
• Volunteers (8)
  • Callista
  • Sophia Y
  • Keira
  • Eunice
  • Mowa
  • Mofe’s Mom (MM)
  • Anya
  • Sophia L
• 65 Clear plastic cups
• 2-3 Jugs of Simply Lemonade
• Measuring cups

Things to buy:

Aspen \~ clear plastic cups (small-medium), 2-3 jugs of simply lemonade;  Mofe \~ food coloring (red, blue, green, orange, brown, yellow, pink), clear plastic cups (small-medium), measuring cups

Setup Procedure:

• Get 2-3 jugs of the same brand of lemonade to ensure identical flavour
• Pour equal amounts of lemonade (25 ) into 8 cups for each participant
  • Pour the lemonade through a (spoon) filter to extract as much pulp as possible
• Drop different food coloring into each cup, leaving one without dye for the control group (2 drops)
• Label cups with randomized letters (A, B, C, D, etc.) to make sure there is no distraction

Experiment Procedure:

• Present the lemonade options to the volunteer, not telling them what the drink is
• Allow them to choose which one they think they will like the best w/o drinking it
• Ask them to fill out the survey for each drink (below)
• Proceed to let the volunteer drink out of each cup with their eyes open
• Tell them to rank the drinks from most favorite to least favorite based on their taste
• Ask them to fill out the survey for each drink (below)
• Then tell them to drink from each up with their eyes closed
• Ask them about their favorite drink based on the order you gave the drink
• Ask them to fill out the survey for each drink (below)
• Record all observations + trends; input data into graph
• Repeat steps 1-10 for each person

To do this experiment properly, we will only allow for 1 sip of the lemonade to ensure that we get the participants first impression. Over time, drinking the same drink consistently can change your opinions if you focus too hard on it, and we just want to get the original impression that the participant gets from the drink.

When recording our data from the experiments, we will make sure to pay attention to any trends or patterns that occur, hence asking the participants if they have any other comments about the taste that they would like to share. Once all of the data is collected, we will have a median average and a mean average, along with a mode to identify the vast majority. With the mean/median average, we will create 5 graphs: color vs. sweetness, color vs. sourness, color vs. blandness, color vs. intensity, and color vs. presumed flavour. Using this data, we will record any observations and links like flavor and sweetness or sourness, intensity and blandness, and especially sweetness or sourness and flavor.

Schedule:

Wednesday, February 4 - Callista (w/ Mofe) and Sophia L (w/ Aspen) Saturday, February 7; Sunday February 8 - Mowa, and MM (w/ Mofe) Tuesday, February 10 - Sophia Y (w/ Mofe) and Keira (w/ Aspen) Wednesday, February 11 - Anya (w/ Mofe) and Eunice (w/ Aspen)

Taste Perception Survey Format

Sample Letter - ___

1. How sweet does the sample look? (circle)

1 2 3 4 5

(not sweet —> very sweet)

1. How sour does the sample look? (circle)

1 2 3 4 5

(not sour —> very sour)

1. How bitter/bland does the sample look? (circle)

1 2 3 4 5

(not bitter/bland —> very bitter/bland )

1. How strong do you think the flavor will be?

1 2 3 4 5

(very weak —> very strong)

1. What flavour do  you think it is?

Legend/Key \~

a = red b = green c = pink d = brown e = yellow f = blue g = orange h = clear/uncolored

*the color or each drink will not be directly stated to the participant, as it will make sure that they aren’t already thinking about the exact color, and we will get a true first impression

Data Tables

We will need one of each type of data table for each participant, as one table acts as all of their surveys for each type of test combined. Therefore, each participant will use up 3 data tables, and we will calculate the average of all 3 tests for all participants into a final 3 data tables.

For each drink sample, the average sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and intensity ratings will be calculated before graphed. For flavour guess and descriptions, we will just be collecting the most commonly guessed flavours and the most commonly used terms for description in the graphs.

Observing:

Along with taking the rating scores from the participants, we also made sure to pay attention to their behaviours and reactions to the drinks. During our experiments, we noticed that the pink, red, and orange drinks were consumed much more eagerly and quickly than the blue, green, and brown drinks. We also noticed that, once they had proceeded to the blind taste test, they had very similar ratings and flavour guesses for each one. 

Experiments 1 & 2: Callista and Sophia L

*this was the experiment where we messed up by doing the blind taste test first!*

• Experiment #1: Callista and Mofe
  • On the first test, it was hard for the participant to pin down how sweet or sour they felt it would be, as the ideal drink is meant to have a good balance between the two
    • In addition, most of this participant’s flavour guesses didn’t really match the ratings for each aspect, and they felt a little bit far-fetched
  • For the blind taste test, this participant almost immediately guessed each and every flavour, easily figuring out that they were all the same drink, lemonade
    • Because of that, the regular taste test (with eyes open) was redundant and we weren’t able to get proper data

*change the order of tests!!!*

• Experiment #2: Sophia L and Aspen
  • This participant’s flavour guesses on the impression test had a wide range, and were pretty outgoing guesses
• For the blind taste test, this participant only got Lime, Orange, or Lemon (ade), and they guessed the reality of the test pretty quickly
  • This then altered the regular taste tests results
• Something unique about this participant’s flavour guesses were their Honeydew and Blue Curaçao guesses because those are both flavours more common in Caribbean areas

Experiments 3 & 4: Mowa and Nola (Mofe’s Mom)

• Experiment #3: Mowa and Mofe
  • Things generally went a lot better with this participant now that we had altered the order of the tests, putting the regular taste test before the blind one
  • This participant generally didn’t like the darker colored drinks (red, green, blue) and rated them a bit lower on their favorites list for the regular taste test
  • In the blind taste test, the participant was mainly guessing orange, watermelon, or lime-based flavours, and they were confused whether or not they were tasting the same drink
• Experiment #4: Nola (Mofe’s Mom) and Mofe
  • Very similar to the results of the last one, as this participant overheard the first’s experiment
  • In the impression test, the flavours had a very wide category, some from cold drinks, juices, hot/warm drinks, etc.
    • For the regular test however, the taste of the lemonade’s sweet/sourness made the participant stick to fruity flavours that you could see in juices

Experiments 5 & 6: Sophia Y and Keira

• Experiment #5: Sophia Y and Mofe
  • This experiment was definitely a little bit rushed
  • During the impression test, this participant found it hard to make guesses due to the fact that there was no obvious smell; they really didn’t want to taste the pink (C) or brown (D) drinks
• Experiment #6: Keira and Aspen
  • Compared most of the flavours to jolly rancher flavours, expecting most of them to be sweet

Experiments 7 & 8: Anya and Eunice

• Experiment #7: Anya and Mofe
• Experiment #8: Eunice and Aspen

Drink Overall Rankings\~

Based on the tested aspects and flavour!

1: Pink (Sample C)

2: Red (Sample A)

3: Orange (Sample G)

4: Clear/Uncolored (Sample H)

5: Blue (Sample F)

6: Green (Sample B)

7: Yellow (Sample E)

8: Brown (Sample D)

"Flavour" Descriptions:

A (Red): This drink had the highest sweetness rating, and many thought that its vibrant red color gave it a sugary and fruity taste. B (Green): Many believed that this one had a very good sweet and sour mix, kind of like the yellow one, but a lot better. C (Pink): During the impression test, a lot of people thought that it would taste like sickening minty medicine, but after tasting it, this became the #1 most liked drink amongst the participants because of its fruity sweetness with a touch of sour. D (Brown): Since many believed that it was a soda/sugar cane drink originally, many thought that it tasted so sweet that it began to be a bit bitter. E (Yellow): Though all of the participants didn’t want to try it at first due to its “highliter” color, many guessed this one to be purposely dyed lemonade, but still felt it was a little too sour. F (Blue): Some participants mentioned how this drink seemed to be colder, and all of them liked the refreshment it brought. G (Orange): Most participants really like the color of this one, as they believed that it was tangy, tropical, and “warm.” H (Clear): Many thought that this drink seemed kind of “bland” or “dilute,” but still liked the faint sweetness it had.

Format:

For our graphs, we will be using the letter names of the drinks to show how they related to sweetness, sourness, etc. Here is a copy of the key that we used during our experiment:

a = red b = green c = pink d = brown e = yellow f = blue g = orange h = clear/uncolored

In addition, to get a good understanding of what the numbers mean here is how me and my partner took  the ratings into consideration.

1-1.5 = Very low, unlikable due to that trait. 1.5-2.5 = Low-average, doesn’t contribute to opinion too much. 2.5-3 = Pretty high/good, was a recognizable trait that distinguished the flavour. 3.5-4.5 = Very high, this trait of the drink contributed a lot to the opinion and perception of the flavour. 4.5+ = Extremely high; overrules most other factors and could possibly even be too much.

Before doing the experiments, we also showed the participants the ratings description to let them know what their ratings would mean for our outcome.

Data Tables:

Averages\~

Graphs (4) & Analysis:

To save space and present our information in the best way possible, we will have 4 graphs that compare the letter (color) of the drink to each of one of the specific aspects that we tested (sweetness, sourness, blandness, intensity).  In each graph, each letter will have 3 bars coming up from it, representing the difference between the impression, the actual tasting, and the blind tasting. Though we did have a flavour guess column, we will only be able to have a graph for the 4 numerical aspects tested, as a graph cannot portray our word values. For descriptions and flavour guesses, we will create a simplified version of the data tables to show our findings.

Graph #1 - Color vs. Sweetness

From this graph, we can see that most of the drinks were expected to be pretty sweet, as most drinks show up sweet in real life. Some drinks with lower expectations for sweetness were Sample E (Yellow) due to its intense saturation, and Sample H (Clear) due to its pale color and diluted look. In the regular test, there is a much more obvious difference between the sweetness ratings, as colors like red, pink, and orange scored quite high, and blue, green, and especially yellow dipped down a bit. In the blind taste test, however, most of the numbers were pretty similar, and, ironically, Sample A (Red), which originally scored the highest, got the lowest overall sweetness score.

Graph #2 - Color vs. Sourness

In this graph, we can see a much greater difference between the ratings. We believe that this is the case because most drinks have some sort of sweetness to appeal to consumers, but only specific drinks have a sour attribute, distinguishing them from more common drinks. In the impression test we can see that the sourness ratings portray basically the opposite of what that drink got in its sweetness rating. For example, Sample A (Red) got a high rating in sweetness, but a quite low rating in sourness. On the other hand, Sample E (Yellow) got a very low rating in sweetness, but it got an obviously high rating in presumed sourness. In the regular taste test, the ratings stayed pretty similar, and they all generally met in the middle. We believe that it is because the participants didn’t really realize before that all drinks have an element of sourness in it. One significantly obvious drop was in Sample E (Yellow), as the participants tended to realize that it wasn’t as bad as they expected it to be. However, it still had one of the highest regular taste test ratings. Lastly, for the blind taste test, similar to the sweetness factor, all of the ratings were fairly similar, some being drawn up or down by a few outliers. The sweetness and sourness ratings in the blind taste test were fairly similar, because lemonade (as the participants somewhat figured out it was) is known for its natural balance of sweetness and sourness.

Graph #3 - Color vs. Bitter/Blandness

Out of all the aspects we tested, the hardest thing for our participants to pick on was bitter/blandness, because colors so brightly colored weren’t really expected to be bland. However, we still got quite good results in this category. In the graph, you can see that there is a half and half split between very bitter and not bitter at all in the impression test. For Sample A (Red), Sample E (Yellow), Sample F (Blue), and Sample G (Orange), the participants didn’t expect them to taste very bitter or bland at all. For all the other samples, however, especially Sample H (Clear), the participants thought that their colors made them subject to being bland. In the regular taste test, the numbers for the latter dropped, as they realized that their side of the color wheel didn’t affect the blandness too much. However, for Sample D (Brown) and Sample H (Clear), the participants seemed to see those as bland all the way through. In the blind taste test, the blandness/bitterness ratings stayed pretty low, as they weren’t focusing on what they thought based on the color.

Graph #4 - Color vs. Strength/Intensity

Lastly, when calculating the strength and intensity ratings, you can see that they stayed pretty high all the way through. In the impression test, all of the drinks were expected to taste pretty strong, except for Sample H (Clear), because it was the palest and the most dilute-looking. Out of all the drinks, Sample B (Green) and Sample F (Blue), were expected to have the highest intensity, and we noticed that they are relatively close on the color wheel. In the regular taste test, the strength ratings stayed generally the same, going down a bit as the participants had quite wild guesses for some of them. For Sample H (Clear), though it still stayed low, the rating went up a bit overall. In the blind taste test, like all of the other aspects we tested, the ratings stayed pretty similar, all in a range from 3 - 3.5.

| Color vs. Flavour Guess ||||

| ----------------------- | --- | --- | --- | | Drink Sample | Impression Test | Regular Taste Test | Blind Taste Test | | A | Cherry | Strawberry | Lemon (ade) | | B | Lime | Lime | Orange | | C | Mint | Watermelon (Lemonade) | Lime | | D | Soda (Coke) | Cream Soda | Mango | | E | Lemon | Lemonade | Lemon | | F | Blue Raspberry | Blue Raspberry | Lemon (ade) | | G | Orange (Juice) | Orange (Juice) | Lime | | H | Coconut | Coconut Water | Watermelon |

Results:

Overall, our experiment has very promising results that show significant changes between each drink's average rating, even though the only thing that was changed was the color.

In general, the “first impression” test allowed us to see what colors came off as most appealing. Because the participants wouldn’t actually know about the taste of the drink, since there weren’t any smells to lead them with, all of their ratings and flavour guesses were based on biases and opinions that we hoped would allow us to identify what came off first as most appealing. In that test, we mainly looked at the participants' reactions and preferences, because it showed us what they unconsciously were first attracted to.  Overall, the participants were most attracted to Sample A (Red), Sample F (Blue) and Sample G (Orange), because those colors are known for being common, sweet drinks, which the participants tended to attract. These first impressions were helpful for us to know which colors are most favored at first glance.

The “regular” taste test that we conducted was to let us understand the second part of our question, if color can influence what a person thinks about a drink’s taste. We also wanted to know if the color could overrule what the person’s tongue actually tastes, manipulating their brain into thinking that it is something else. Luckily, this part of the experiment was also very helpful in understanding exactly how color could play a role in a person’s perception of a taste. In our experiment, the difference between the impression test was quite little, which proves exactly what we hoped. Because the answers had very little difference, it shows that what the participants expected their drink to taste like ultimately influenced their belief of their drink’s flavour. In a few drinks, there were generally higher fluctuations between the numbers, but most of the drinks had similar ratings between the impression and the actual taste, in all categories that we tested.

Lastly, our “blind” taste test was technically the base of the experiment, as it proved that all of our information from the regular taste test was valid and actually making a difference. In our blind taste test, many of the participants were trying very hard to differentiate between the flavours, and they found it even harder to differentiate between the ratings for each drink. Many participants even asked if we were just giving them the same drink over and over. Due to the confusion and the stress that they had trying to decide their guesses and ratings, we can prove that their ability to see the color of the drink was what influenced their decisions and flavour guesses, therefore proving that color does affect the brain’s perception of taste.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the color of a drink, or any food really, does in fact change a person’s perception of the flavour and the taste, as proved by the data. Overall, this fact supports the hypothesis for this experiment, that the color of a drink will affect how each person tastes it, causing them to like specific “flavours” over others. Each time a participant tasted a “new drink,” they had new opinions, new ratings, and new reactions. Because we only changed the color of the drink, the differences that we saw in our chart quite obviously prove that color affects taste, and it is one of the leading factors in that.

However, though our hypothesis was right on the main part, it was partially wrong for the second half where we predicted what participants would generally feel about the colors. We predicted that red, pink, brown, and orange would be some of the top rated “flavours,” and people would describe them as tropical, sweet, and vibrant. We also believed that participants would be most attracted to these colors from the very start. Though pink, red, and orange were actually in the top three, respectively, brown was actually ranked last because of that sugariness that we believed it would give off. Many thought that sugar was so much that it turned bitter, eventually putting it in last place.

For green, blue, yellow, and clear, we were a little more wrong with hypotheses on how participants would react to them. We believed that blue, yellow, and clear would be loved and closely tied with the warmer colors, expecting that the unattractive color of the clear drink would cause it to come in last. However, the clear drink actually came in the top 50%, ranking 4th place. We believe that this is because the cloudiness could have represented a presence of sugary substances, causing participants to enjoy it above the other highly-saturated drinks on the cooler side. In addition, green and blue came in very close with each other, being described as colder and more refreshing. Yellow, however, due to its acidic-looking color and high saturation, was almost placed in last, barely making it above brown. That information tells us a lot about how colors can affect opinions in taste, along with the information that is within our experiment’s three tests.

The “first impression” test helped us with the first thing we wanted to know — which colors appeared most appetizing in drinks. This knowledge would eventually help us figure out what colors would be best in marketing and advertising, as colors have a simpler yet wider range that could easily apply to marketing tactics. Based on our results from the “first impression” test, we can see that red is the #1 color to use when trying to attract people’s attention, especially when the product is advertising its sweetness. Light oranges and off-whites would also be good, as those two colors were ranked high because of their dull sweetness that was compatible with its sourness. Pink, however, could be a questionable color, as, on first glance in our test, many reacted badly to the pink as it appeared to be medicinal or overly minty.

Green, blue, and less-saturated yellows are also appetizing to most eye-catching but appealing, without coming off too strong. Those three colors are known to be most common in sweet and fruity drinks, which could generally draw people towards them. Lastly, brown is probably the least suggested color for use, because, especially when considering basic drinks, as it was the least attractive drink in our experiment. While the participants still guessed tasty flavours, they were undoubtedly uncertain about whether they were willing to risk trying it.

We also were able to see what colors were more desirable, as the colors ranked the highest were usually consumed the fastest, and with the most zeal. Along with that, we watched the reactions of the participants when they consumed each drink, and we noticed that yellow, brown, and green got slightly bad reactions, including squinting and cringing, indicating that the participants weren’t happy with the taste. However, for the higher ranked colors, especially pink and red, the participants took bigger sips and licked their lips after, showing that they favored those tastes and would be willing to drink the whole cup.

Together with the "impression" test, the “regular” taste test also showed us whether or not the color of a drink could affect somebody’s opinion and perception of its taste long term. In other words, we wanted to know if their opinion would last the whole experiment based on what they said in the impression test. For most drinks, the participants did have similar opinions between the impression test and the regular test, showing that their opinion lasted throughout the whole time. Some exceptions were the clear drink, the yellow drink, and especially the pink drink. For the clear drink, participants expected it to be pretty tasteless, and though they still found it a little blander than the others after tasting, they admitted that it was actually one of the best drinks; for the yellow drink, participants expected it to be way too strong, but, while they still found it a little bit too sour and strong, they realized that it wasn’t as bad. For the pink drink, most people were planning on having to rate it last, as many were worried it would taste like medicine. However, when they tasted it, they, ironically, ranked it as the best drink in the whole set.

Together, all of this information concludes that color affects how a person perceives a drink’s taste in multiple aspects and categories.

How this can be applied?

How is this information helpful? Why would anybody care? Well, aside from the fact that this information is cool, psychological, and interesting, this information can actually help people in the real world. In everyday life, the information that we acquired from our experiment could help people in food and possibly even other marketing and promotion of products, even if they aren’t drinks. Because drinks have a wide yet simple variety of flavours they could be associated with, they are the best way to apply colors and opinions to marketing and all sorts of advertising.

Based on our findings in the impression test and even a little bit of the regular taste test, we can conclude a few things about what colours would be the most effective for specifically food marketing, which also could vary based on the purpose.

Red \~ Based on our impression test, it is obvious that red is the #1 best color to use in marketing, especially when the product is meant to advertise sweetness or fruitiness. Red attracts people's attention in the best way possible, as it appears to be vibrant, sweet, and fruity due to its warm red tones. Using red for boxing or significant images in marketing would cause people to pay attention to it and be more willing to try the product and buy it.

Orange \~ As seen in our impression test and in our taste test, we can tell that orange is also another amazing color to use in food marketing, as this color, again symbolizes fruitiness and freshness. In addition, as a warm color, orange also indicates a tropical and potentially sour flavour, which is one of the most appealing tastes there is, as shown in our regular taste test. Because orange, no matter what shade, also has a very bright and appealing color, it would draw attention to it, which would therefore make it a good choice for effective marketing.

Yellow + Off-white \~ As shown in our impression test, yellow is one of the most horrible colors to use for marketing purposes, especially if it has a high saturation. Because of the highlighter-yellow color that we achieved from the food dye, our participants thought it looked the worst,  expecting it to be the most sour, even though it was the same as all the others. Instead of that bright yellow, people promoting their products should use paler yellows or off-whites instead, as, even though they can come off as bland, they would be more effective for marketing purposes due to their possibility to be viewed as light and sweet. In general, however, yellow should be avoided when trying to market food products.

Green + Blue \~ When marketing sour or intense/strong foods and drinks, green and blue, to the right extent, could be some of the best colors possible for that purpose. These colors, while having decent sweet ratings, scored generally high in intensity and sourness. Because of that information, we can conclude that those colors tend to show up as vibrant, refreshing, and a little bit tangy. By using the right shades and the right saturation of green and blue, promotion and marketing with those colors would attract consumers to the color and the taste that they are craving to get from them.

Pink \~ If we look at the impression test and the regular taste test’s final results, pink becomes the most difficult color to deal with in marketing. In the impression test, pink scored quite low in both sweetness and sourness, but it had pretty high scores in blandness and intensity. Because many expected it to taste like medicine, they got that combo of high blandness and intensity, which generally indicates a bad presumed taste. However, once they had tasted the pink drink, they believed it was the tastiest drink of them all, and it was rated as perfectly sweet, sour, and intense. However, in real-life marketing, many people wouldn’t be willing to take that risk, because they aren’t forced and it may not be worth it. So, if pink should be used in marketing, then we believe it would be best if the pink was darkened a little bit, or was given a red undertone. With any of those adjustments, the pink would have similar traits to the red, attracting buyers due to the sweetness and sugary fruitiness that it brings along.

Brown \~ In our experiment, the participants had doubts about the brown color the whole time. In the impression test, though a few tried to give it some hope, many gave it low ratings in sweetness and sourness as the color was unusual and unappealing. Even when the participants tasted the brown drink, many thought it was overly sweet in a way that eventually made it taste bad in their mouth. Because lemonade isn’t bitter in any way, those comments and reactions show that the color of the drink threw them off a lot, proving that brown is an unappealing but influencing color. Therefore, in marketing, brown should only be used if it is a paler or lighter shade, which could bring forth vibes of cinnamon or vanilla, which would draw consumers with its comforting vibe. However, brown should generally be avoided in marketing and packaging strategies.

A good example of how the conclusion from this experiment is used in real-life marketing and promotion is with the brand Coca Cola. Even though the drink itself is brown, which could come off as bitter or unappealing, they use a bright, vibrant red packaging to appeal to the eyes, and somewhat “cancel out” the effect that the brown drink could have on consumers.

Overall, because our experiment was based on 8-ish main colors that are seen in everyday life’s foods and drinks, that means that our experiment and the analysis above could be valuable information on how to effectively market according to people’s preferences based on how color affects a person’s perception of tastes and flavours.

If we were to study further in this topic, we would make a second part, where we could investigate how specific intensities and saturations affect people’s perception of flavours, expanding the way that marketing could use colors to link to flavours.

Sources of Error

• In our first two experiments, we started with the impression test, then went on to the blind taste test, and conducted the regular taste test last. Because we did that, the participants got pretty close to figuring out the reality of the drinks, and it messed up their answers on the regular taste test because they had already tasted them all as the same or very, very, similar. For the remaining experiments, we had to switch the blind test and the regular test, but we unfortunately were unable to get any more participants at that point.
• In the first 2 sets of experiments (#1, #2, #3, and #4) we had poured large amounts of lemonade and dyed them just like that, which eventually caused us two problems, firstly we would run out of lemonade way too fast. If we had continued at that rate, we would have had to buy lots more of the lemonade. Along with that, the participants were able to guess that it was all lemonade, even on the regular taste test, because the flavour of the drink was too strong and distinct for them to ignore. To solve both of those problems, we ended up diluting the lemonade with small amounts of water (about 4-5 regular plastic bottle caps) to the plastic cups before we would pour in a small portion of the lemonade. This way, the flavour wasn’t too overwhelming for the participants, and we would use up the lemonade a lot slower.
• For 3 of the colors that we mixed, we didn’t have a very efficient way of stirring them into the cups of lemonade. For the pink sample, the color was way too strong if we put in a whole drop, and it started to show up as a salmon-red color instead. To avoid that, we had to rub a very small speck on a spoon, and quickly mix it into the mix before it partially dried up. For brown and orange, however, we weren’t able to get singular bottles in those colors, so we had to mix them up by ourselves. Because these 3 colors had little problems, we would sometimes end up with slightly different colorings for each participant, though it shouldn’t have been enough to extremely alter the results.
• Since we didn’t have a pulp strainer, the pulp from the Simply Lemonade was obvious in the drink and in the participants mouth, which could have brought them closer to finding out that it was lemonade the whole time.
• We started the experimenting a little bit too late, so we weren't able to get a good amount of people, as we also weren't able to get a variety of people to participate (varied age, varied gender, varied ethnicities, etc.)

However, these errors that we made in our experiment were mainly due to our rush to finish and our lack of planning before we got into the experiments. With more time and in future attempts, these could easily be avoided.

Biblography/Citations\~

Choudhury, Bedatri D. “How the Psychology of Food Color Determines Taste and Cravings”. Bon appetit. 30 April, 2025. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-food-colors-determines-taste-and-cravings?srsltid=AfmBOorfaGJHvSXCinpeAtAC6lf2GMEeiMB-1bWx9qaIVAX6V3Er609a. Accessed 1 March, 2026.

Daunt, Lauren. “The multisensory experience of eating”. The Varsity. 21 September 2025, https://thevarsity.ca/2025/09/21/the-multisensory-experience-of-eating/. Accessed 24 February, 2026.

Escobar, Francisco Barbosa. Olier, Juan Sebastian. Spence, Charles. Velasco Carlos. “The taste of colors”. ScienceDirect. December 2023, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329323002033. Accessed 24 February, 2026.

“Food and Color: What Does It All Mean?. TraceGains. 4 December, 2025. https://tracegains.com/blog/food-and-color-what-does-it-all-mean/#:~:text=Color%20choices%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20food&text=Many%20studies%20suggest%20that%20visual,taste%20like%20lime%20or%20apple. Accessed 25 February, 2026.

Gauthier, Isabel. Sun, Jisoo. “Does food recognition depend on color?”. Springer Nature. 25 May 2023, https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-023-02298-y?fromPaywallRec=false. Accessed 24 February, 2026.

“How Does Colour Affect The Way We Eat?”. FoodUnfolded. 2 February 2021. https://www.foodunfolded.com/article/how-does-color-affect-the-way-we-eat. Accessed 25 February, 2026.

LeWine, Howard E. “Foods linked to better brainpower”. Harvard Health Publishing. 3 April 2024, https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower. Accessed 24 February, 2026.

Portnoy, Matt. “How does color affect taste?”.Metrobi. 3 July 2024, https://metrobi.com/blog/how-does-color-affect-taste/?st_source=ai_mode#:~:text=Perceived%20flavor%20intensity%20is%20significantly,the%20actual%20flavour%20remains%20unchan. Accessed 24 February, 2026.

Spence, Charles. “On the psychological impact of food color”. Springer Nature. 22 April 2015, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13411-015-0031-3#:~:text=Adding%20green%20food%20coloring%20decreased,for%20the%20detection%20of%20bitterness. Accessed 24 February, 2026

We are very thankful to the creators of these sources as their research and information was essential to us conducting our research and establishing a base for our experiment.

Thanks!

We would like to give a huge thanks to our CYSF coordinator, Dr. Garcia, for all the work she has put into organizing this for our school and giving us personal tips and advice on how to progress. Without her taking time to put this all together, we wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity. We would also like to thank our mentor, Rena Iyinbor, for the immense support and help she has given us along the way. We also must thank our participants for giving up their lunch and recess times to help us conduct our experiments. We also want to thank our parents and our families for unconditional support of our project, allowing us to meet up, work together, and stay up late to work. We would also like to thank our friends for encouraging us and giving us insight on how to make things better. In addition, we thank all of the authors of the websites, videos, and books that we used to conduct our research to establish the foundation of our project. And, lastly, we give a giant thank you to the CYSF organization for providing us, and multiple other youth, with the chance to participate in such an amazing experience!