First-of-its-kind assessment links flavor perception to early disease detection, cognitive health, and AI-driven diagnostics

Loss of taste or smell can signal Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or metabolic disorders years before other symptoms appear. Yet despite being linked to over 100 medical conditions, these senses remain largely overlooked in clinical care and absent from AI health models. Today, the World Taste & Smell Association (WTSA) launches Phase I of the Cognitive Flavor Assessment Protocol (CFAP)—a pioneering initiative designed to change that.

CFAP reframes taste and smell not as minor "chemical senses," but as essential gateways to memory, emotional wellbeing, nutrition, and early disease detection. By measuring how the brain processes flavor through an integrated sensory experience, CFAP opens new pathways for diagnosis, cognitive rehabilitation, and personalized health interventions.

What Makes CFAP Different

Traditional smell tests ask people to sniff and identify odors. CFAP goes deeper—it evaluates how your brain integrates flavor through retronasal olfaction (smell from inside the mouth), taste, memory, and attention. This approach captures the full sensory-cognitive experience of eating and provides richer, more actionable data about brain health and perceptual function.

The protocol works through a structured tasting and assessment module that measures both sensory perception and cognitive processing. Participants experience curated flavor samples while researchers track how their brain interprets, remembers, and responds to these multisensory signals.

Phase I includes two essential participant groups:

• Individuals with hyposmia (partial smell loss) to understand sensory dysfunction and recovery potential

• Individuals with normal sensory function to establish new baselines for sensory health

This dual-cohort design allows researchers to map perception variability, track changes over time, and build the foundational data needed for personalized diagnostics—something that has never existed at this scale for taste and smell.

Why This Matters Now

Early detection saves lives. Subtle shifts in how we perceive flavor can reveal neurological changes months or years before traditional symptoms emerge. CFAP provides a noninvasive, accessible screening tool that could reach communities underserved by expensive imaging or specialist care.

Post-viral recovery is a growing crisis. Millions worldwide continue experiencing smell and taste dysfunction after COVID-19 and other viral infections. Sensory neurorehabilitation—training the brain to reconnect with these senses—represents a critical frontier in recovery, yet lacks standardized protocols. CFAP fills that gap.

AI needs human sensory data. Current AI health models lack nuanced understanding of embodied perception—how humans actually experience flavor, mood, and meaning through their senses. CFAP generates the high-quality human data necessary to build truly responsive, personalized wellness technologies.

Equity requires low-barrier tools. Complex medical testing often excludes those who need it most. CFAP is designed to scale globally across diverse care settings, from research hospitals to community clinics.

Leadership & Collaboration

The clinical research is led by a multidisciplinary team including:

• Dr. Jonathan B. Overdevest, MD, PhD (WTSA Advisor) — Taste and Smell Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, bringing clinical expertise in sensory disorders

• Mindy Yang (WTSA Co-Founder & CEO) — Human Experience and Sensory Design Integrator, ensuring the protocol centers and patient experience

• Michael Colangelo — Flavorist and Technical Advisor, bringing industry expertise in flavor creation and sensory applications

• Darryl DO / Delbia Do — Chemist and Contract Manufacturer/Regulatory Expert, providing formulation development and regulatory guidance

The project convenes a global working group of neuroscientists, perfumers, flavorists, neuropsychologists, technical innovators, and individuals living with sensory loss—ensuring diverse perspectives shape every phase of development.

Open Call for Collaborators

WTSA is actively seeking partners to expand CFAP's impact:

• Clinical partners & neuroscience labs to run trials and validate applications

• Research institutions to integrate CFAP into longitudinal health studies

• Consumer packaged goods, food & flavor, and technology companies interested in sensory innovation and wellness AI

• Funders committed to health equity and preventive care

The protocol is designed with modular applications for sensory recovery programs, food-as-health initiatives, personalized diagnostics, and next-generation wellness platforms.

Looking Ahead

"We are entering an era where perception is data—and everyone deserves to understand what their body is telling them," says Mindy Yang, WTSA Co-Founder & CEO. "CFAP bridges the lived human experience with scientific precision and the promise of AI. It makes sensory health visible, trackable, and actionable—regardless of your background or diagnosis. When we empower people to understand how they perceive the world, we give them agency over their health. This is perception as power."

“With thoughtful design, we believe discovery can be simple. One precisely formulated spray of flavor can activate and strengthen sensory–cognitive pathway, transforming a fleeting taste moment into meaningful insight".”

About the World Taste & Smell Association (WTSA)

The World Taste & Smell Association is a nonprofit organization championing taste and smell as powerful gateways to health, memory, and human connection. Through cutting-edge research, public engagement, and cross-industry collaboration, WTSA makes sensory health visible, actionable, and essential. We believe perception is power, and we're building a future where everyone can access and understand their sensory health.

Founded in 2022, WTSA partners with leading medical institutions, sensory scientists, and industry innovators to advance research, advocacy, and education around taste and smell health.