Predicting children's food choice using check-all-that-apply questions

Abstract

Traditional descriptive methods for obtaining sensory profiles are difficult to apply with children because these measurements are complex, requiring lengthy concentration and adequate training. Therefore, research has examined the possibility of working with the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method, which is quite easy to use, especially given the lack of scaling. However, the question arises as to what extent the CATA questions bear additional information compared to the hedonic assessment for food choice prediction. Therefore, this study examined the value of CATA questions for predicting actual food choice for 149 children (aged 11–13 years) using five biscuits. The data showed that including CATA questions resulted in significantly better prediction of actual food choice. Moreover, the CATA questions provided discriminating sensory profiles for the samples, and this method was even able to discriminate between similarly-liked samples. Practical applications: This study indicates that using CATA questions has an added value, not only to better discriminate between equally liked samples, but also to better predict children's food choice. Given the ease of use with (younger) children, this method could provide additional insights into how children perceive the sensory attributes of food products. Therefore, the CATA method could be useful for both scientific research, as well as for industry, in considering the input of children, which will better reflect their actual food choice.