Exploration of the relationship between olfaction, food Neophobia and fruit and vegetable acceptance in school-aged children

Abstract

Rejection of food, including fruits and vegetables, is prevalent among children. In adolescents and adults, a link has been observed between food neophobia (the rejection of unfamiliar foods) and olfaction, which plays a key role in food acceptance. However, research on olfaction's role in food acceptance and rejection among children is limited. Utilizing the U-sniff test and the Italian Child Neophobia Scale, this study investigated associations between odor awareness, odor identification, food neophobia, and the acceptance of fruits and vegetables in Swedish children aged 9–12 years (n = 126). A Swedish version of the ChiPSO questionnaire on odor awareness (including subscales for food, social and environmental odors) was developed, and initial validation conducted through back translation, cognitive interviews, and exploratory factor analysis. Fruit and vegetable acceptance was assessed through a questionnaire and a tasting session. Findings indicated that food neophobia was associated with lower fruit and vegetable acceptance (questionnaire ρ = −0.296, p = 0.002; tasting session ρ = −0.273, p = 0.004) but no significant associations observed with odor awareness (ρ = 0.159, p = 0.094) or odor identification performance (ρ = −0.141, p = 0.176). However, odor awareness was negatively associated with vegetable acceptance (ρ = −0.200, p = 0.034), while odor identification performance showed no significant associations (questionnaire ρ = −0.049, p = 0.638; tasting session ρ = −0.101, p = 0.316). A negative association was found between odor identification performance and environmental odor awareness (ρ = −0.269, p = 0.010). This suggests that some children may struggle to identify odors due to emotional reactions and avoidant behaviors, reducing engagement and hindering identification. Further exploration of the relationship between olfaction and children's food acceptance or rejection is encouraged.