Four out of five consumers eat things that do not taste them
Under the 15. Nutrition in Heidelberg Forum on 28./29.9.2011 presented the Dr. Rainer Wild Foundation, Foundation for a healthy diet first results of a representative study of taste research. The Heidelberg scientists were doing to the question of whether people eat things that do not taste them. The results show that 81% of respondents foods and food consume that do not meet their personal taste preferences. Furthermore, it is clear that the flavor is only one of many criteria for the selection of food.
Every day, consumers have to decide what to eat - at home, at school, at work or on the go. If you ask them why they chose a particular food or dish, taste is often mentioned as the most important criterion. It is reasonable to assume that these people only eat what they like.
The two research assistants at Dr. Rainer Wild Foundation, Dr. However, Lisa Hahn and Karolin Höhl, based on the results of a representative study, showed that 81% of those questioned eat foods and dishes that do not correspond to their personal taste. 38% stated that they generally did not like the food or the food. For 28% the preparation was unsatisfactory and for 19% the food was not flavored to their taste. Food and dishes that the respondents did not like were mostly consumed outside the home, for example in restaurants, canteens or snack bars (45%) and were mainly prepared by commercial manufacturers or professional chefs (57%). It was particularly surprising for the nutritionists that “73% of Germans continue to eat, even if they don't like it. 40% of the respondents even eat (almost) the entire meal. "
The survey showed that many people eat things that they don't like. "The good taste may be important," said Dr. Gesa Schönberger, Managing Director of the Foundation for Healthy Nutrition, “However, it is often not essential. Why we eat things that we don't like will be one of the interesting questions we will ask as the study progresses. We want to reveal the actual relevance of taste and get closer to our everyday food. ”
The peculiarity of the study also lies in its approach: there are already some models that approach selection and nutritional behavior. However, these often take a one-sided perspective in favor of behavioral or sensory-oriented research. The question of "taste compromises" is often neglected. The new research project "Taste compromise instead of taste preferences" by Dr. The Rainer Wild Foundation addresses precisely these points and wants to use its findings to close a gap in behavioral and sensory research.
The study was carried out in cooperation with the LINK Institute for Market and Social Research, Frankfurt / Main. As part of a representative telephone survey, 1.000 people in the Federal Republic of Germany were asked about their selection behavior in the field of nutrition (survey period: September 2011).
Dr. Rainer Wild Foundation
The Dr. Rainer Wild Foundation, Foundation for Healthy Nutrition sees itself as a center of excellence for healthy nutrition and a contact for experts, scientists and multipliers. On the basis of scientific knowledge, she wants to create a deeper understanding of the existential importance of healthy nutrition and is actively committed to a modern and responsible handling of nutrition. With a comprehensive approach, she illuminates the subject of nutrition from different perspectives. Her projects, publications and events focus on nutrition education, consumer behavior, eating culture and taste research. The non-profit and operational foundation was founded in 1991 by the entrepreneur and scientist Prof. Dr. Rainer Wild founds.
Source: Heidelberg [Dr. Rainer Wild Foundation, Foundation]
