| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 940298 | Appetite | 2011 | 5 Pages |
The purpose of this study was to assess whether the availability of a product sample of an unfamiliar low-fat or fruit and vegetable products stimulates choice for this product among food neophobic young adults. The study had a 2 (experimental vs. control group) by 4 (low-fat bread spread, low-fat cheese, fruit juice, fruit and vegetable juice) between subjects design with a pre-and post-experiment questionnaire. The study was conducted in restaurant rooms of several educational institutions in the Netherlands among a convenience sample of 197 food neophobic young adults aged 17–25 years. A small bite or sip-sized sample of the target product was provided as an intervention. The effect measure was choice of either an unfamiliar healthful food product or a traditional food product. Offering a sample of an unfamiliar healthful food product resulted in 51% of the participants in the experimental group choosing this product vs. 36.4% in the control group. Providing food product samples seems to be a promising strategy in healthy diet promotion programs for food neophobic young adults to increase first-time trial of unfamiliar low-fat and fruit and vegetable products.
► Effect of availability of a sample of an unfamiliar product on food choice was assessed. ► Participants had to choose either a familiar or an unfamiliar low-fat product. ► The food choice experiment was conducted in ‘natural’ restaurant rooms. ► Offering samples stimulated food neophobics to choose unfamiliar food product. ► Offering samples seems promising strategy in healthy-diet promotion programs.
