The perception of low-salt bread among preschool children and the role of educational personnel in creating a positive attitude towards reformulated food

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to identify the possibility of unnoticed reduction in salt content of bread as a basic food in the diet of preschool children. The response of children to less salty bread and the role of teachers and teacher assistants in the introduction of novelties into children’s nutrition ware studied. METHODS: Using hedonic sensory evaluation in the case of bread, the perception of salty taste and responses of preschool children to salt reduction were observed. The combination of quantitative and qualitative data analysis obtained from the case study group, composed of 22 preschool children and 66 teachers and teacher assistants, was studied. RESULTS: The results show that a 30% salt reduction was not registered by the children, while a 50% reduction of the salt content, compared to the original recipe, though noted, was not disruptive. The perception of taste and development of good eating habits at an early age could be influenced by teachers and teacher assistants’ verbal and non-verbal communication. CONCLUSION: Salt reduction does not significantly affect the rating of satisfaction with the tested product. Educational personnel must be aware of their decisive influence on children’s perception of new and less salty products. Such an approach could represent a basis for creating children’s eating habits, which will be of particular importance later in their lives. The findings may possibly result in an update of the national nutrition policy.