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Taste preference, food neophobia and nutritional intake in children consuming a cows’ milk exclusion diet: a prospective study
Author(s) -
Maslin K.,
Grimshaw K.,
Oliver E.,
Roberts G.,
Arshad S. H.,
Dean T.,
Grundy J.,
Glasbey G.,
Venter C.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of human nutrition and dietetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1365-277X
pISSN - 0952-3871
DOI - 10.1111/jhn.12387
Subject(s) - neophobia , medicine , micronutrient , taste , overweight , prospective cohort study , pediatrics , physiology , food science , body mass index , chemistry , pathology , psychiatry
Background Taste exposure in infancy is known to predict food preferences later in childhood. This is particularly relevant in children with cows’ milk allergy who consume a substitute formula and/or a cows’ milk exclusion ( CME ) diet early in life. This prospective study aimed to show whether there is a long‐term effect of consuming a substitute formula and CME diet on taste preferences and dietary intake. Methods Children were predominantly recruited from two large birth cohort studies in the UK . Two groups were recruited: an experimental group of children who had consumed a CME diet during infancy and a control group who had consumed an unrestricted diet during infancy. Parents completed a food neophobia questionnaire and an estimated prospective food diary. Children completed a taste preference test and their growth was assessed. Results One hundred and one children with a mean age of 11.5 years were recruited (28 CME and 73 controls). Children in the CME group had a significantly higher preference for bitter taste than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). There were significant differences between the groups with respect to the intake of some micronutrients, including riboflavin, iodine, sodium and selenium. Food neophobia did not differ between groups. Some 28% of the CME group were overweight/obese compared to 15% of the control group; however, this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions Consuming a substitute formula and/or a CME diet in infancy has a long‐term effect on the preference for bitter taste. Differences exist with respect to the intake of some micronutrients, but not macronutrients. There was a nonsignificant trend towards being overweight and obese in children in the CME group.