**2. Experiences**

The experiences presented below were evolutions and variations of this methodology in the area of food. Because it is a sector that can awaken the 5 sensory channels, even though the 3 main ones are vision, smell and taste. The first test was developed using the image of 3 foods (as we can see in **Figures 1**–**3**), where a more juicy image was presented (**Figures 1** and **2**) and even an image with desaturated and manipulated foods to look unpleasant (**Figure 3**). The objective of having 3 such different variations, was to verify if the neural and verbal response coincided in options that seemed to be practically unanimous and if the result of the algorithm would follow this path, **Figure 1** was selected as the most tasty and **Figure 3** the least tasty as we expected.

Subsequently, 3 hamburger options were tested (**Figures 4**–**6**) this time, the test was to understand whether the launch of a new hamburger option with reference to the artisanal hamburger trend in Brazil (**Figure 6**) would be accepted among the more consolidated options on the market (**Figures 4** and **5**). This time, the acceptance of the new option was rejected by the participants in the verbal analysis (**Figure 8**), but an interesting feature was observed in the EEG analysis (**Figure 7**). According to the software data, the level of "interest" in the participants increased when this option was presented, which led me to invite them to a focus group to try to understand this discrepancy between verbal and neural analysis. The response of the participants in most cases was that they had an interest in trying the option in

**Figure 1.** *Image of barbecue with grilled fruits.*

**Figure 2.** *Pasta with fruits.*

#### **Figure 3.**

*Plate of fruits, fungi, sausage and bacon with sauce (with manipulation of the saturation of the colors to look disgusting).*

**Figure 4.** *Hamburguer A.*

**Figure 5.** *Hamburguer B.*

**Figure 6**, but they were not willing to "pay" for that option, the options in **Figures 4** and **5** being better known, that is, even in no information has ever been given on option values, whether there would be any payment, etc., the participants' response had a direct connection with the fact that they preferred to stick to traditional options rather than try a new one (taking into account automatically) the financial factor and the fact that they prefer to stick to already known tasty options *Multicriteria Algorithm for Multisensory Food Analysis DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96135*

**Figure 6.** *Hamburguer C.*

**Figure 7.** *EEG Interest is the yellow wave.*

**Figure 8.**

*Although the waves show high interest in options C and A, the verbal chart portrays them as the worst options.*

than to take a chance on a new flavor that is likely not to be as tasty, according to Prospect theory).

The following analysis (**Figures 9**–**11**) was performed without the hormonal dosage of saliva, however, EEG analyzes were introduced in a more protagonist way. This decision was made in order to better observe the experience because it is understood that when it comes to food, when eating a salad or a chocolate, most of the stimulated areas observed through the fMRI equipment are the same. But the preference for the second option (chocolate) is probably greater in most people,

**Figure 9.** *Analysis site of coffee samples.*

**Figure 10.** *Sample A.*

**Figure 11.** *Sample B.*

simply because the brain prefers more fatty foods due to its high energy consumption (it consumes approximately 20% of the energy produced by the body). Therefore, the analysis of waves and neural frequencies, as well as the attributes presented by the EEG software, are faster to interpret. In addition to this facilitation, it is possible to compare the results verified by the fMRI images (brain waves are represented in different colors, with 1 color for each frequency - **Figure 15**). Another way of comparing the 3 techniques presented (fMRI, EEG and hormonal dosage of saliva) is precisely through the hormones found during the experiments, as well as their quantity. The hormones, wave frequencies and analysis of the EEG software, demonstrate differently the possible emotional states of the participants and can be compared with each other.
