Campden Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) has published a new review that will help companies involved in the production and marketing of foods for children, and those involved in the monitoring and regulation of such activities, to have a better understanding of what influences children's food choices. Issues in children’s food choices: methods for sensory and consumer research (Review No. 53), pulls together the great number of studies of different aspects of children's eating habits in the recent years into one document.

As well as exploring the factors themselves, and the long-term effects of making different choices, this review also looks at the methods used to investigate children's behaviour, and how different techniques can be used to probe different facets.

The report reveals that, as well as biological and psychological factors, choice is affected by taste, hunger, appearance, family habits and feeding practices, peer pressure, schools and teachers, media and advertising, cost and availability. Understanding these will help both government and industry in their efforts to improve the overall healthiness of children's diet.

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