LAUSR

Foods high in dietary fat provide a particularly energy-rich source of nutrition. A preferred food choice in humans, their intake is thought to contribute substantially to the current obesity epidemic. Fat has recently been proposed to constitute a basic taste; yet, its diverse sensory properties in the olfactory and somatosensory domain, as well as its postingestive effects have made the exact attributes that make its consumption so appealing difficult to disentangle. Recent scientific advances have shed light on the different molecular mechanisms underlying the sensory detection of fat in the periphery, and described their relevance for perceptual experience and eating behavior. However, these different analysis levels are to date poorly integrated, both within each sensory modality, and from a multisensory perspective. The current Highlight Article aims to integrate current knowledge concerning the molecular mechanisms of the different sensory modalities contributing to fat perception, as well as their cortical neuroanatomical correlates and their behavioral and clinical relevance for fat intake. In doing so, we would like to highlight the evidence for cortical integration among the different sensory domains as a driving mechanism for the emotional evaluation of fatty foods, and point out gaps in the current literature, which should be addressed to complete the picture of fat perception from a cognitive neuroscience perspective.