Reflections on current practice for taste learning in children

Abstract

In this paper, an overview of current approaches to taste learning in children will be outlined. Based on a current review of these approaches (DeCosta et al., 2017) and practical experiences gained from the research project Taste for Life, weaknesses and knowledge gaps across current studies will be identified and discussed, and suggestions for future directions in the field will be proposed.In particular, it is discussed and recommended to: 1) prioritize and acknowledge the importance of pleasure, 2) to conduct studies using a wider range of target stimuli, 3) to develop interventions that engage entire families and make use of different settings, 4) to design future study protocols to be longer term and investigate transfer effects, and 5) to think outside the box and develop novel intervention strategies such as collaborations with chefs.