Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the parents' perceptions of children's favorite foods. Mothers of elementary school students in Seoul were asked in a survey about their perceptions of children's favorite foods and their opinions of the related policy. Respondents pointed out the problems of children's favorite foods including insufficient sanitation, concerns with food additives, untrustworthy manufacturer, unsafe food distribution system and overuse of MSG. Overall hazardous perceptions of children's favorite foods were 2.71 out of 4.00. Most respondents believed that the children's favorite foods contained some harmful ingredients or over nutrients, and 69.2% of those respondents knew exactly which ingredients may cause children's health problems. The hazardous perception of chocolate, yogurt, sport drink and fruit drink were low compared to others, whereas hazardous perceptions and accuracy were high in candies, icebars, hamburgers and pizza, In terms of comprehensive countermeasures against unsafe children's foods, the respondents perceived that the establishment of standard amounts of nutrient value and food additives was the most important issue.