Food acceptance and neophobia in children with phenylketonuria: a prospective controlled study

Abstract

Although there was some evidence to suggest that children with PKU aged ≥4 years prefer savoury foods (vegetables) more than control children, they did not prefer bitter-tasting foods, and so early and persistent administration of bitter-tasting l-amino acids was not associated with apparent taste imprinting. Neophobia appears to play significant part in food refusal in PKU, perhaps more so than taste preferences.