Effect of sensory education on food preferences in children

Abstract : During an evaluation of the effects of a French sensory education program for 8-10 years old school children, an experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of the program on the development of children's preferences for stimuli differing in arousal potential (higher complexity and/or intensity). An experimental group (n = 101) who participated in the education program and a control group (n = 102) who did not, rated liking for five stimuli differing in arousal potential in each of three product categories (mashed potatoes, fruit yoghurts and compotes) at three moments: just before (T0) and after (T1) the education program and 10 months later (T2). Although initially both groups showed the same increase in liking for more arousing stimuli in two foods, indicating that exposure to more arousing stimuli alone sufficed, whereas the effect of the education program was only shown in the further extension of this change at T2 in the experimental group.