It is my great pleasure to introduce this special issue of Food, Culture and Society. Titled “Sensory Labor: Considering the Work of Taste in the Food System,” the issue is curated and edited by Christy Spackman and Jacob Lahne. The articles in this issue represent cutting-edge work at the nexus of food studies, sensory science, and science and technology studies (STS).
The papers came out of the March 2017 conference, Stop Making Sense: A Conversation Between Sensory and Social Science about Food and Drink. Convened by Spackman and Lahne, the conference was held at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (recently renamed as the Science History Institute) and co-sponsored by Drexel University. The guest editors’ introduction dexterously introduces and contextualizes the articles in this emerging field.
Rounding out the issue are several book reviews edited by Book Review Editor John Lang. I would like to extend my thanks to him, as well as to Managing Assistant Editor Katherine Magruder, and Taylor & Francis editors Alison Daniels and George Cooper. Finally, this scholarship would not be possible without the efforts and expertise of the peer reviewers, whose behind-the-scenes labor is critical to the process.