Sniffing, eating and disgust in food neophobic children

Abstract

Food neophobic children avoid certain foods; they also differ in their odour pleasure and intensity ratings and sniffing vigour. However, the importance of olfaction in determining food acceptance by neophobic children is not clear. Moreover, sensory exploration may interact with fear of contamination. We investigated the influence of neophobia on exploratory sniffing, sensory sensitivity and effects of contamination during exposure to fruit vs. (labelled) cake. Thirty-six children aged 4–7 years were assessed for level of food neophobia by parent-completed Child Food Neophobia Scale. Children smelled food placed in two opaque boxes. It was claimed that one box contained apple slices and the other apple cake; in fact they both contained apple slices. Children then rated intensity of smells, odour appeal and appetite for the food. Video analysis provided measures of sniffing time and proximity. To examine the effects of contamination, one half were told that there may have been a fly around the food. Participants could then eat as much of the two foods as they wished. Neophobic children sniffed further away from both of the foods. No other differences between high and low neophobic children were found. Hunger levels and contamination threat did not affect the children’s behaviour or their ratings. The finding that sniffing proximity depends on neophobia is new, and offers insight into the role of olfaction if little other sensory information is available. The lack of other differences could be explained by the foods not being novel and apples being sweet and therefore appealing even to a neophobic child.