“Health Is in the Air”: Visual and Olfactory Nudges and Food Choices at University Vending Machines
- 1Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumer Behaviour “Carlo A. Ricciardi”, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
- 2Behavior and Brain Lab IULM—Neuromarketing Research Center, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
- 3Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, 30123 Venice, Italy
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Ambient sensory cues can influence food choice, yet their role in everyday environments remains underexplored, with much of the existing evidence derived from laboratory studies. This is particularly relevant in university settings, where students often make rapid, convenience-driven choices that may be nudged toward healthier options by sensory cues (e.g., images or scents). Methods: A quasi-experimental field study was conducted across three consecutive one-week conditions: control, visual (a nature-themed poster), and olfactory (jasmine fragrance). Snacks were classified according to perceived healthiness ratings from a pre-study questionnaire. After predefined exclusions, purchases were analyzed using binary logistic regression, with condition as the main predictor and price and time of day examined as additional factors. Results: Among N = 1043 purchases, products classified as healthy were more frequent during the olfactory week than during the control and visual weeks. The visual condition did not differ significantly from control. Higher prices were associated with lower odds of purchasing a product classified as healthy, whereas time of day was not significantly associated with purchasing behavior. Conclusions: These findings provide field-based evidence suggesting that olfactory cues may be associated with a shift toward food choices perceived as healthier in vending-machine environments, pointing to their potential as a low-cost sensory nudging strategy while highlighting the need for confirmation through randomized or counterbalanced designs and replication across diverse real-world food-choice settings beyond university contexts.
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BibTeX
@article{chiarelli2026health,
title = {{“Health Is in the Air”: Visual and Olfactory Nudges and Food Choices at University Vending Machines}},
author = {Simone Chiarelli and Chiara Casiraghi and Alessandra Cecilia Jacomuzzi and Valeria Micheletto and Vincenzo Russo and Margherita Zito and Giuseppina Gifuni},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nu18193292},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13667266},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - “Health Is in the Air”: Visual and Olfactory Nudges and Food Choices at University Vending Machines
AU - Simone Chiarelli
AU - Chiara Casiraghi
AU - Alessandra Cecilia Jacomuzzi
AU - Valeria Micheletto
AU - Vincenzo Russo
AU - Margherita Zito
AU - Giuseppina Gifuni
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18193292
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13667266
AB - Background/Objectives: Ambient sensory cues can influence food choice, yet their role in everyday environments remains underexplored, with much of the existing evidence derived from laboratory studies. This is particularly relevant in university settings, where students often make rapid, convenience-driven choices that may be nudged toward healthier options by sensory cues (e.g., images or scents). Methods: A quasi-experimental field study was conducted across three consecutive one-week conditions: control, visual (a nature-themed poster), and olfactory (jasmine fragrance). Snacks were classified according to perceived healthiness ratings from a pre-study questionnaire. After predefined exclusions, purchases were analyzed using binary logistic regression, with condition as the main predictor and price and time of day examined as additional factors. Results: Among N = 1043 purchases, products classified as healthy were more frequent during the olfactory week than during the control and visual weeks. The visual condition did not differ significantly from control. Higher prices were associated with lower odds of purchasing a product classified as healthy, whereas time of day was not significantly associated with purchasing behavior. Conclusions: These findings provide field-based evidence suggesting that olfactory cues may be associated with a shift toward food choices perceived as healthier in vending-machine environments, pointing to their potential as a low-cost sensory nudging strategy while highlighting the need for confirmation through randomized or counterbalanced designs and replication across diverse real-world food-choice settings beyond university contexts.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -