Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Malay-Translated Version of the Food Neophobia Scale for Malaysian Young Adults

The Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) is a research instrument, originally developed in English, to assess an individual's level of food neophobia. However, it has not yet been translated and validated for Malaysians. Therefore, we aimed to translate and validate a Malay-translated version of the FNS. Respondents were 200 young adults (mostly females, 73%; and students, 82.0%; M age = 22.3 years, SD = 2.3). We first translated the FNS into Malay using the forward-backward translation method, and a panel of nutrition and dietetics experts then reviewed it for item relevance, clarity, simplicity, and ambiguity. The translated FNS suggested good content validity with an item-level content validity index (I-CVI) > .8, a scale-level content validity index (S-CVI)/average = .8 and a S-CVI/universal agreement = .96. Principal component analysis revealed a two-factor model: (i) willingness and trust; and (ii) rejection and fear. Cronbach's alpha for the Malay-translated FNS was .808, demonstrating high internal consistency and reliability among young Malaysian adults. Future investigators can now use this Malay-translated FNS instrument to determine levels of food neophobia among Malaysians.

Market Expansion of Caffeine-Containing Products: Italian and Argentinian Yerba Mate Consumer Behavior and Health Perception

Mate is the most consumed beverage in South America. There is interest in expanding yerba mate sales into the old and new markets by promoting its health properties and energizing effects. The research study aims to explore Argentinian and Italian purchasing and consumption behavior and perception of yerba mate. The exploration includes agro-food chain stakeholders’ views, and consumers’ habits, perception, knowledge of yerba mate in relation to other market positioning caffeine-containing products. Data collection includes qualitative method, such as interviews with agro-food chain stakeholders, that is producers, processors, consumers, and quantitative consumer survey. Data collection was carried out in Argentina and in Italy. Results show that in Argentina yerba mate consumption is driven by habit and tradition, and in Italy yerba mate is mostly unknown. Consumers tend to drink yerba mate in Argentina and other caffeine-containing beverages in Italy to socialize, and as source of energy. Consumers have little awareness of yerba mate antioxidant properties. Yerba mate provides the energy of coffee drinking, and the taste and pleasure of tea drinking. Italian consumers’ key challenge to yerba mate drinking is the longer time it takes, compared to the usual espresso. Italians perceive it as an energetic or relaxing beverage, with a consumption experience similar to tea and infusions. There is need to update commercialization strategy of yerba mate in Italy.

Adaptation and Validation of the Food Neophobia Scale: The Case of Hungary

Food neophobia is the fear or loathing of novel food, which may result in the rejection of the unfamiliar food item. The most frequently used and most reliable tool to measure adult food neophobia is the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS), which has been translated into several languages, making it possible to compare food neophobia levels around the world. The main objective of this research has been the adaptation and validation of the FNS in Hungary. In order to achieve the research objectives, a questionnaire survey was conducted on a representative sample of 500 adults; and, primarily, multivariate statistical tools were used. We found that despite the Hungarian population’s strong neophobic tendency, neophobia and neophilia are present at the same time. We identified two distinctive factors in the course of the exploratory factor analysis (“Willingness and trust” and “Rejection and particularity”), which distinctly separate the negatively and positively worded (reversed) FNS items. Based on these factors, four clusters were identified. Those belonging in the group of adventurous open-minded individuals constitute an ideal target group for the manufacturers of novel food items as well as products with unusual flavors, especially if those products also have health-enhancing and eco-friendly qualities.

Food Neophobia and Consumer Choices within Vietnamese Menu in a Polish Cohort Study

One of the factors influencing consumer food choices is food neophobia (FN), described as a reluctance to try novel or unknown food products. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of FN on food choices in young Polish respondents through a web-based choice experiment with Vietnamese restaurant menu. The choice experiment was conducted using a Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) method in a sample of 601 young adults, while using a developed Vietnamese restaurant menu. For the dishes, neophobic potential for a Polish population was defined, based on content of ingredients not typical for Polish diet. The FN was assessed using the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) by Pliner and Hobden. The neophobic potential was the determinant of choice of dishes (p < 0.05). The participants characterized by a high FN level less commonly than others chosen dishes characterized by neophobic potential as: starter (Nem quõn—non-fried spring rolls with shrimps) (p = 0.0003), soup (Mién gà—soup with cellophane noodles and nam huong mushrooms) (p < 0.0001), main course (Phở xào bò—rice noodles with soy sauce and fish sauce) (p < 0.0001) and dessert (Chè thập cãm—dessert of golden gram, black eye beans, Azuki beans and tapioca) than other options (p = 0.0007). It was stated that FN in young respondents may reduce the frequency of choosing dishes containing unfamiliar ingredients and, as a result, it may cause lower diversity of consumed dishes. Taking into account that not properly balanced diets resulting from rejecting some types of products are becoming a growing problem, the FN should be taken into account in the general public health policy.

Cross-cultural adaption and validation of the Chinese version of the Child Food Neophobia Scale

OBJECTIVE

To adapt the Child Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS) cross-culturally for use among 12-36-month-old Chinese toddlers and to perform a preliminary assessment of its construct validity and reliability.

BACKGROUND

Food neophobia is the fear of eating new or unfamiliar foods, which affects the type and quality of individual dietary intake, especially during early childhood. However, measurements of child food neophobia have rarely been reported in China due to a lack of reliable and valid measurements.

METHODS

The CFNS was translated and adapted into a Chinese version (CFNS-CN) through a forward translation, reconciliation, a back translation, expert review and pretesting. The construct validity and reliability of the CFNS-CN were tested in 390 caregivers of 12-36 months old Chinese toddlers through convenience sampling in Changsha Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Hunan Province, China. The internal consistency, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and reliability were estimated.

RESULTS

The kappa coefficients indicated moderate to perfect agreement between the test and retest, and Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.91. A normal χ²/df, CMIN/DF=3.302, Comparative Fit Index, CFI=0.993, Tucker-Lewis Index, TLI=0.986 and root mean square error of approximation, RMSEA=0.077 were found. The CFA results showed that the model indicators were acceptable. High food neophobia was observed in 25.1% of individuals.

CONCLUSION

The CFNS-CN showed good internal consistency reliability and construct validity. The CFNS-CN may become an effective tool for assessing food neophobia in Chinese toddlers.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial was pre-registered at the China Clinical Trial Registration Center under registration number ChiCTR1800015890.