Effects of the “Lesson of Taste” on Taste Recognition, Food Awareness, and Eating Behaviors among Elementary Schoolchildren

Abstract

The “Lesson of Taste” (“Leçon de Goût” in French) has been implemented in Japan as “Mikaku no Jugyo” since 2011 to teach children to use all five senses and enjoy the five tastes during meals. However, the educational benefits of the lesson have not been verified scientifically. In 2015, we therefore investigated the effects of the “Lesson of Taste” at an elementary school in Fukuoka, Japan that has conducted the lesson on 4th graders every year since 2012. Among the 4th graders (n＝98), the mode of correct answers in the taste recognition test (5 basic tastes and 3 tasteless samples) was 4 and 8 (perfect score) before and after the lesson, respectively ; the ratio (%) of students scoring >6 correct answers essentially doubled after the lesson. The mode of correct answers among 4th graders (n＝130) at a nearby school that did not offer the “Lesson of Taste” (control) was 4, which significantly differed from those attending the target school. Furthermore, the knowledge and awareness of taste immediately improved among the children after the “Lesson of Taste”. A survey of 5th (n＝99) and 6th grade (n＝114) children at the target school revealed that the “Lesson of Taste” provided an opportunity to develop interest in anticipating, tasting, and eating food. The “Lesson of Taste” improved the sense of taste and positively impacted food awareness and eating behaviors among children.