Nutr Res Pract.  2016 Apr;10(2):221-228. 10.4162/nrp.2016.10.2.221.

Taste education reduces food neophobia and increases willingness to try novel foods in school children

• Park BK
• Cho MS

• KMID: 2313921
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2016.10.2.221

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
This study measured the effects of a taste education program developed in Korea on food neophobia and willingness to try novel foods in school children.
SUBJECTS/METHODS
One-hundred and twenty school children (aged 7-9 years) residing in Seoul participated in 12 sessions of a taste education program for 3 months. The Korean taste education program was adapted from "Les classes du goût" by J. Puisais and modified to suit a Korean education environment. The study subjected school children to pre- and post-programs on food neophobia and willingness to try novel foods (WTNF), in addition to children's food neophobia in their parents. A total of 101 survey data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0.
RESULTS
Regarding the effects of taste education, scores of food neophobia significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in the posttest, mean (m) score (4.10 ± 1.19) decreased compared to the pretest (4.39 ± 1.00), and WTNF significantly increased (P < 0.001) in the pretest (m) score (0.48 ± 0.33) compared to the pretest (0.32 ± 0.34). This result indicates verification of the study hypothesis.
CONCLUSIONS
Food neophobia scale (FNS), an index that measures personal food preference [1,2], showed a very weak correlation with behavioral willingness to taste novel foods (WTNF). Therefore, it is expected that the two scales measure different things. However, considering that the traits of food neophobia are not easily changed, the taste education program was administered in a remarkably effective manner.

Keyword

Taste education; food neophobia; school children

MeSH Terms

Child*
Education*
Food Preferences
Humans
Korea
Parents
Seoul
Weights and Measures

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Flow chart of the experimental procedure of the study

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  Fig. 2 Mean scores and standard errors of the mean obtained for food neophobia in pretest and posttest periods (after 12 lessons) (means and their 95% confidence intervals). 1) FNS score: food neophobia score

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  Fig. 3 Familiarity with novel foods in pretest and posttest periods (means and their 95% confidence intervals), 1) ns: non-significant 2) *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01

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  Fig. 4 Preferences for novel foods in pretest and posttest periods (means and their 95% confidence intervals). 1) **P < 0.01 2) ns: non-significant

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  Fig. 5 Acceptance of novel foods in pretest and posttest periods (means and their 95% confidence intervals). 1) *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 2) ns: non-significant

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  Fig. 6 Mean scores and standard errors of the mean obtained for WTNF score by children in pretest and posttest periods. 1) WTNF: Willingness to taste novel food

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