Taste preference, food neophobia and nutritional intake in children consuming a cows' milk exclusion diet: a prospective study.
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.



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.



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.



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.
School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.|David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, UK.
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Maslin
Clinical and Experimental Sciences and Human Development in Health Academic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.|Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Southampton Children's Hospital, Southampton, UK.
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Grimshaw
Clinical and Experimental Sciences and Human Development in Health Academic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
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Oliver
David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, UK.|Clinical and Experimental Sciences and Human Development in Health Academic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
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Roberts
David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, UK.|Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
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Arshad
School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.|David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, UK.
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Dean
David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, UK.
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Grundy
David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, UK.
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Glasbey
School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.|David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, UK.
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Venter
D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013649:Taste
cows’ milk allergy; dietary intake; food neophobia; taste preference