Fruit and vegetables liking among European elderly according to food preferences, attitudes towards food and dependency

- Three eating styles were highlighted with specific food habits and preferences.
- Despite exceptions, the elderly were not selective towards fruit and vegetables.
- We report consensual fruit and vegetables for dependent elderly people in Europe.
- All cooking methods were well appreciated for vegetables.

As the population ages and dependency for food-related activities increases, it becomes crucial to better understand food expectations of elderly consumers. Fruit and vegetables (F&V) are generally appreciated by elderly people. However, few studies have investigated elderly peoples' F&V liking, taking into account their dependency and countries' specificities. The present study aims to identify the liking of F&V, eating styles and food selectivity depending on the country of residence and levels of dependency. A European survey was conducted with 420 elderly people delegating meal-related activities, living at home or in nursing homes. Based on general food preferences, three eating styles were identified. Results showed that F&V liking is a segmenting variable. Elderly people from the style 1 (n = 145) do not really appreciate fruits nor desserts. On the contrary, elderly people from style 2 (n = 121) are really fruit lovers. Finally, elderly people from style 3 (n = 126) liked desserts, fruits, and even more vegetables. Results showed that elderly people were nor selective towards F&V, even if there were some exceptions as exotic fruits (disliked by 19%) and fennel (disliked by 33%). Fruit and vegetables selectivity was significantly different between countries (p < 0.001), but not between men and women, or between categories (p > 0.05 in both cases). Selectivity for F&V was very variable and could reach 32 vegetables among 42 and 28 fruits among 34. The most selective participants were from Finland and the least ones, from the UK. These results can be used to design and/or adapt F&V-based products according to elderly consumers' liking, taking into account their country of origin and their dependency.