Sylvie Issanchou

A prospective study of food variety seeking in childhood, adolescence and early adult life.

This prospective study of food variety seeking among children was conducted between 1982 and 1999, with a follow-up in 2001-2002. Two- to three-year-old children were given a free choice of lunch foods in a nursery canteen. Their food choices were recorded and used to calculate early variety seeking scores, globally and by food group (vegetables, animal products, dairy products, starchy foods and combined dishes). The same subjects (n=339) were contacted in 2001-2002, when they were: 17-22 (n=89), 13-16 (n=68), 8-12 (n=99) and 4-7 years of age (n=83). Follow-up variety seeking, globally and by food group, and food neophobia were evaluated using questionnaire instruments. Variety seeking at follow-up increased with early variety seeking and to a lesser extent with age, and decreased with food neophobia. Early and follow-up variety seeking scores were highly related for dairy products and vegetables. Follow-up variety seeking for animal products was higher for boys and increased with age for boys, but not for girls. For each food group, variety seeking at follow-up was related to food neophobia. This study suggests that the acquisition of food repertoire may be influenced by food exposure and food choice behaviours before the age of 4.

Expectation, liking and purchase behaviour under economical constraint

Abstract A panel of 123 consumers from Dijon and Nantes rated their liking for six orange juices (two pure juices, two juices made with concentrate and two nectars) in a blind condition, and then with information about the type of juice and packaging. Expectations induced by the information were also measured and the effect of this expectation on their evaluations were studied, as well as the role of the price on the purchase behaviour when the consumers were placed in a situation of choice under economical constraint. When discrepancy between blind rating and expectation was large, consumers generally moved their ratings towards expectation when they tasted a product in presence of information revealing an assimilation effect. We observed that even under the lowest economical constraint, consumers did not only choose their preferred product. The percentage of expenditure allocated to the first ranked product decreased as price increased and consumers partly transferred their choices to the second ranked product and even to the third ranked product.

Breastfeeding and experience with variety early in weaning increase infants’ acceptance of new foods for up to two months ☆

BACKGROUND & AIMS Previous studies showed that (1) breastfeeding and (2) higher food variety early in weaning can increase acceptance of new foods for the next few days. Here we measure, in two European regions, effects of breast or formula feeding and experience with different levels of vegetable variety early in weaning on new food acceptance during two months following the start of weaning. METHODS Breast- or formula-fed infants received their first vegetable (carrot purée) and, over the next 9 days, either carrots every day; 3 vegetables changed every 3 days; or 3 vegetables changed daily. On the 12th and 23rd days they received new vegetable purées, zucchini-tomato then peas. Several weeks later, they received 2 more new foods, meat and fish. Acceptance of new foods was measured by quantities eaten and by liking ratings. RESULTS Breastfeeding and variety early in weaning increased new food acceptance. Frequency of change was more effective than number of vegetables fed. The combination of breastfeeding and high variety produced greatest new food intake. This effect persisted 2 months later. CONCLUSIONS These interventions correspond to differences in milk and vegetable feeding observed in the regions studied suggesting that the results have practical consequences for acceptance of new foods.

Traditional process: influence on sensory properties and on consumers' expectation and liking Application to ‘pâté de campagne'

Abstract Sensory profiling of eight ‘pâtes de campagne’, of which four were produced according to a traditional process and four produced according to a non traditional process, was performed by a trained panel. Results revealed some sensory particularities of each process but also sensory differences among the eight products which were not related to the process. Expectations created by two labels, one evoking a traditional and one evoking a non traditional process for ‘pâte de campagne’, were determined for 125 consumers. The impact of these expectations on expectation after visual examination and on liking after tasting was also studied, using the same eight products. The impact of information was greater on expectation scores given after visual examination than on liking scores given after consumers had tasted the products. When liking was based on written information and sensory characteristics perceived upon tasting, an assimilation effect was observed, and this assimilation tended to be higher after a negative disconfirmation (when the product was worse than expected) than after a positive disconfirmation.

Expected versus experienced quality: trade-off with price

This study was conducted in order to compare the behaviour of consumers who had to choose products under economic constraint in two conditions: when perceived quality was based on expectation generated by packaging images, versus when perceived quality was based on sensory experience in presence of packaging images. Randomly selected participants were endowed with a real budget and placed in five different price/budget situations. They stated their choice among six orange juices in each price/budget situation. This task was performed for the two different information conditions. Results demonstrate that participants who chose products without tasting made their choices more rapidly, chose a larger number of variants and their choices tended to be less influenced by liking scores, as compared to participants who chose products after tasting. The comparison between these two conditions permitted us to understand behaviour differences when consumers were in a total or restricted information situation.

Dynamics of liking for flavoured crackers: Test of predictive value of a boredom test

Abstract The principal aim of this study was to compare two experimental conditions for measuring the effect of repeated consumption on liking: a laboratory boredom test and a home use test. Another goal was to investigate the impact of perceived familiarity, appropriateness and complexity on the dynamics of liking. Two groups of consumers were recruited, one for each condition. Five variants of salty crackers, each with a different flavour, were tested. The laboratory condition did not show any difference in the dynamics of liking among the flavours. The home condition revealed a significant increase in liking for only one flavour. This increase could not be related to the level of complexity of the flavour or to other factors measured in this study. However, for both conditions, familiarity and appropriateness had a strong effect: the most familiar and appropriate flavours were always the most preferred.

Learning to Eat Vegetables in Early Life: The Role of Timing, Age and Individual Eating Traits

Vegetable intake is generally low among children, who appear to be especially fussy during the pre-school years. Repeated exposure is known to enhance intake of a novel vegetable in early life but individual differences in response to familiarisation have emerged from recent studies. In order to understand the factors which predict different responses to repeated exposure, data from the same experiment conducted in three groups of children from three countries (n = 332) aged 4–38 m (18.9±9.9 m) were combined and modelled. During the intervention period each child was given between 5 and 10 exposures to a novel vegetable (artichoke puree) in one of three versions (basic, sweet or added energy). Intake of basic artichoke puree was measured both before and after the exposure period. Overall, younger children consumed more artichoke than older children. Four distinct patterns of eating behaviour during the exposure period were defined. Most children were “learners” (40%) who increased intake over time. 21% consumed more than 75% of what was offered each time and were labelled “plate-clearers”. 16% were considered “non-eaters” eating less than 10 g by the 5th exposure and the remainder were classified as “others” (23%) since their pattern was highly variable. Age was a significant predictor of eating pattern, with older pre-school children more likely to be non-eaters. Plate-clearers had higher enjoyment of food and lower satiety responsiveness than non-eaters who scored highest on food fussiness. Children in the added energy condition showed the smallest change in intake over time, compared to those in the basic or sweetened artichoke condition. Clearly whilst repeated exposure familiarises children with a novel food, alternative strategies that focus on encouraging initial tastes of the target food might be needed for the fussier and older pre-school children.

Food choices at lunch during the third year of life: high selection of animal and starchy foods but avoidance of vegetables.

AIM The objective was to show patterns of food selection by 2- to 3-y-old children for a wide variety of foods in a self-service cafeteria and to assess the effect of individual variables (gender, BMI, mode of feeding after birth and rank in sibship). METHODS In a nursery self-service canteen, food choices at lunch made by children (n=418, 24-36 mo; 109 observations per child on average) were recorded by trained assistants who monitored portion size. An offer of eight dishes (animal products, starchy foods, combination dishes, vegetables and dairy products), excluding dessert-type foods, was proposed. Choice level was calculated for each food. Analysis of variance was used to compare choices for the various foods and to assess the effect of the individual variables. RESULTS The choice of a food largely depended upon its nature: animal products, starchy foods and their combinations were widely chosen, whereas vegetables were not often selected; the choice for dairy products depended upon the type. The mode of preparation of the food influenced its choice. Segmenting products were identified; however, except for cheeses, a given child did not refuse an entire food category. Childrens characteristics did not explain the choice variability. CONCLUSION At the age of 2 to 3 y, children preferentially choose animal products and starchy foods and avoid vegetables; the high individual variability of their food choices could be related to previous food experiences.

Links between maternal feeding practices and children’s eating difficulties. Validation of French tools ☆

The main objectives of the present study were to validate measures of young childrens eating difficulties and maternal feeding practices in a French sample, as well as to assess the links between these practices and childrens eating difficulties. Mothers (n=502) of French children aged 20-36 months completed four questionnaires that were validated using a Structural Equation Modelling approach. Links between children and maternal components were investigated using a PLS regression. The Childrens Eating Difficulties Questionnaire yielded a 4-dimension solution: Neophobia, Pickiness, Low Appetite and Low Enjoyment in food. The Feeding Style Questionnaire assessed three dimensions: Authoritarian, Authoritative and Permissive Styles. The Feeding Strategy Questionnaire, designed to evaluate strategies used by mothers to make their child taste rejected foods, resulted in four factors: Coercion, Explanation, Contingency and Preference. The Questionnaire relating to Parental Motivations when buying food for children presented a 6-dimension solution: Convenience, Weight-control, Natural, Health-concern, Preference and Price. The factors associated positively with the four dimensions of the Childrens Eating Difficulties Questionnaire were on the one hand Permissive Style and Practices to fulfil childs desires, and on the other hand Authoritarian Style, Contingent and Coercive Practices aimed at forcing children to taste rejected foods.

Obesity interferes with the orosensory detection of long-chain fatty acids in humans

BACKGROUND The association between the orosensory detection of lipids, preference for fatty foods, and body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) is controversial in humans. OBJECTIVE We explored the oral lipid-sensing system and the orosensory-induced autonomic reflex system in lean and obese subjects. DESIGN Lean (BMI: 19 to <25; n = 30) and obese (BMI >30; n = 29) age-matched men were enrolled. Their oral threshold sensitivity to linoleic acid (LA) was determined by using a 3-alternative forced-choice ascending procedure, and their eating habits were established by the analysis of 4 consecutive 24-h food-consumption diaries. The effect of brief oral lipid stimulations on plasma triglyceride [(TG)pl] concentrations was analyzed in overnight-fasted lean and obese individuals subjected to a whole-mouth stimulation (sip-and-spit procedure) with a control or 1% LA emulsions for 5 min according to a within-subject randomized design. RESULTS A large distribution of LA detection was shown in both groups. Mean detection thresholds were 0.053% (wt:wt) and 0.071% (wt:wt) in lean and obese subjects, respectively. No relation between the LA detection threshold and BMI was observed. The 5 subjects who detected only the higher concentration of LA (5% wt:wt) or were unable to distinguish properly between control and LA emulsions were obese. An analysis of dietary habits showed that these obese LA nontasters consumed more lipids and energy than did all other subjects. Brief whole-mouth stimulations (sip-and-spit procedure) with a control or 1% LA emulsion revealed an LA-mediated rise in (TG)pl concentrations in overnight-fasted, lean subjects. The origin of this change seemed to be hepatic. This (TG)pl upregulation was not shown in obese subjects, which suggested that obesity led to disturbances in the oral-brainstem-periphery loop. CONCLUSION Altogether, these data strongly suggest that obesity may interfere with the orosensory system responsible for the detection of free long-chain fatty acids in humans. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02028975.