Smells fishy: Could the aroma cost sales?

Could fishy-smelling seafood make customers suspicious of its taste, quality and even sustainability?

A new study from the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of Michigan (UM) found there’s a good reason why variations of the  saying “smells fishy” can be found in more than 20 languages as a metaphor for suspicion.

“In this latest study of metaphor and reasoning, [USC Professor Norbert] Schwarz and researchers David Lee and Eunjung Kim from the University of Michigan decided to further test our response to fishy smells,” USC states on its website.