IKEA joins SEN, URJC, and CIBEROBN in groundbreaking study on mealtime habits | Ingka Group
Aiming to spark thoughtful reflection and concrete action—while staying firmly evidence-based—the project emphasizes collaboration with top experts to produce reliable data that reflect current realities and guide steps toward practical solutions. The message from Berta Madera, Head of Research at IKEA Spain, is clear: a healthier life for individuals and society starts at home.
The study will deploy fieldwork with biometric devices and artificial intelligence to uncover brain activity and emotional wellbeing connected to home cooking, consumption of ready meals, and mealtime dynamics—whether eating alone, with others, or while multitasking with a mobile device.
An innovative lens on everyday life
This newly announced research, with results anticipated in early 2026, tackles an aspect rarely examined scientifically: how Spanish people think, feel, and behave around cooking, eating, and mealtime routines at home.
Two parallel studies will run. One, led by SEN and URJC, will monitor brain responses across various cooking and eating scenarios using biometric tech and AI. The other, led by CIBEROBN, will investigate eating patterns and screen use during meals. For IKEA, understanding how people live at home matters, blending internal research with specialist partnerships to illuminate underexplored areas.
“This public–private collaboration seeks to provide scientific evidence on how the home environment and everyday habits shape health. Grasping these dynamics can raise awareness and improve wellbeing,” states Dr. Fernando Fernández-Aranda, a researcher at CIBEROBN.
“For SEN, partnering with CIBEROBN, URJC, and IKEA to study something as human as cooking and sharing meals is a privilege. It enables us to analyze the emotional and neuroscientific factors behind these acts,” adds Jesús Porta-Etessam, President of SEN.
Two complementary studies
The two studies will run in tandem to present a cohesive view of people’s habits, emotions, and experiences around cooking and dining.
SEN and URJC will conduct fieldwork using biometric equipment and AI to detect brain responses and emotional wellbeing in home cooking, eating ready meals, dining solo or with others, and during mobile-device use.
Dr. Jesús Porta-Etessam explains, “From neurology and neuroscience perspectives, cooking and sharing meals activate brain regions tied to reward, empathy, and wellbeing. Analyzing how these responses shift in digital or solitary contexts will illuminate the impact of today’s lifestyle on brain health.”
Ana Reyes, URJC professor of Marketing and Market Research, adds, “We are more connected than ever, yet increasingly isolated. This pioneering study combines AI and biometric tech to explore how cooking habits can help emotional reconnection in a hyperconnected world.”
Meanwhile, CIBEROBN researchers will assess eating patterns through interviews and surveys.
“We will examine not only which foods are eaten and how they’re prepared, but also the conditions surrounding these activities—the timing, environment, social or family rituals, and how screen use shapes them,” notes Dr. Fernández-Aranda. He underscores the value of integrating environmental, social, and cultural factors into eating-habit research.
This approach could deepen understanding of human behavior and open new avenues in brain and mental health research and lifestyle patterns.
Public–private collaboration to unlock fresh scientific questions
The project underscores the value of collaboration among public entities, private businesses, scientific societies, universities, and research centers to yield outcomes with real societal impact.
From IKEA’s perspective: this partnership applies rigorous scientific methods to everyday life in a largely uncharted domain—the intersection of food, social experience, and brain response.
Results are expected in the first quarter of 2026, offering an unprecedented glimpse into Spaniards’ habits and emotions around the dining table.
About Ingka Group
Ingka Group operates IKEA retail in 31 markets, representing the largest share of IKEA’s global sales. It partners strategically to innovate and shape shared IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and runs IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. The company’s activities span three areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments, and Ingka Centres. Learn more at Ingka.com.
