Determinants of food rejection amongst school children

This study investigates the role of food preferences in food rejection amongst primary school children. A total of 17 children (9- and 10-year-old) took part in group discussions from which elicited their preferences from 35 photographs of different foods and dishes. They also discussed their reasons for rejecting a specific meal that had been offered to them during a trip to France. The results showed that their food preferences played a limited role in their rejection. They reported to be disgusted by the meal, and this apparently stemmed from stereotype of French food associated with imagination and miscommunication. They also described aspects of the food as unfamiliar.