Oral size perception and texture preferences for particle-containing foods in children aged 5–12

Ching Yue Chow*, Anne C. Bech, Annemarie Olsen, Russell Keast, Catherine G. Russell, Wender L.P. Bredie*

*Corresponding author for this work

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1 Citation (Scopus)
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Abstract

Foods containing bits and pieces are often less liked by children; however, there is a limited understanding of how perceptions and preferences for foods with particles change during childhood. This study aimed to investigate preferences and perceptions of particle-containing foods in children aged 5–12 years. Children (n = 485) completed a forced-choice questionnaire on drawings of six pairs of foods, each available with or without particles. Additionally, children tasted yogurts added with muesli differing in particle size (median diameter: 3.9 or 7.5 mm) and evaluated their perception of particle size in mouth and their liking. The questionnaire results showed that children had a clear preference for foods without particles. The average probability of choosing the ‘with-particle’ foods was 28%, significantly below the midpoint of 50% (p <.0001). Preferences for particle-containing foods were lowest at age six and increased significantly with age (p =.0007). In the taste test, muesli particle size affected oral size perception (p <.0001) but not liking (p =.60). Older children were better able to differentiate particle size than younger children. However, there was no relationship between individual preferences for particle-containing foods and oral size perception of muesli particles. The observation that children's texture preferences changed with age highlights the role of increased experience in shaping preferences for foods with particles.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere12848
JournalJournal of Texture Studies
Volume55
Issue number4
Number of pages11
ISSN0022-4901
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Texture Studies published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Keywords

  • children
  • oral size perception
  • particles
  • preference
  • texture

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