Food Nostalgia: A Newer Avenue of Food Science Work

Researchers at the Washington State University School of Food Science are studying the influence of comfort and nostalgia and their effect on nutrition in older adults.

Food nostalgia research is a newer avenue of food science work, Professor Carolyn Ross said, but examining comfort food is a bit more established. Preference can vary widely due to cultural differences. In this study, whenever people labeled something as a comfort food, they liked it more. Malnutrition is prevalent in people over 60 and Ross hopes to work with food manufactures to design prepared food specifically for older adults.