Children prefer natural food, too

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Food Science

Background:

• Adults exhibit a strong preference for natural foods, influencing their acceptance of novel food technologies.
• This natural food preference in adults has significant societal implications, including resistance to sustainable innovations like cultured meat.
• Understanding the origins and developmental trajectory of this preference is crucial for addressing future food choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether children, similar to adults, possess a preference for natural foods.
• To determine the age at which the preference for natural foods emerges in childhood.
• To explore the influence of perceived naturalness on children's food choices and evaluations.

Main Methods:

• Two preregistered studies were conducted with 374 participants (children and adults) in the United States.
• Participants' ages ranged from 5 to 10 years for children and approximately 30 years for adults.
• Food preferences were assessed across domains like fruit and juice, using measures of tastiness, safety, unnaturalness, and desire to consume.

Main Results:

• Both children and adults demonstrated a preference for natural foods over unnatural foods.
• This preference was consistent across different food types (fruit, juice) and evaluation metrics.
• The natural food preference was evident in children as young as 5 years of age.

Conclusions:

• The tendency to prefer natural foods is present in American children from a young age (5 years old).
• This early-onset preference suggests a foundational aspect of human food choice development.
• Findings have implications for the acceptance of innovative and sustainable food technologies in the future.