DETERMINING A SERIES OF WHOLE WHEAT DIFFERENCE THRESHOLDS FOR USE IN A GRADUAL ADJUSTMENT INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE CHILDREN'S LIKING OF WHOLE‐WHEAT BREAD ROLLS

ABSTRACT The first objective of this research was to determine if elementary school‐aged children preferred refined bread to whole‐wheat bread. The second objective was to set a series of difference threshold steps that could be used for an intervention to gradually and undetectably increase whole‐wheat flour content in a bread roll. We conducted a taste test with 103 elementary school children in which they rated their liking of bread rolls containing various levels of whole wheat. The rolls with lower levels of whole wheat were liked better than the rolls with higher levels. We established difference thresholds for whole‐wheat flour in rolls over the range of 0–100% whole wheat using ascending forced‐choice tests. From these thresholds, we established the following series of concentrations (%): 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, 26, 32, 38, 47, 59, 72 and 91. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The series of whole wheat concentrations we determined can be used in an intervention to gradually increase the whole‐wheat content of bread rolls. More broadly, they could be used by any foodservice operation, manufacturer or cook that wants to gradually increase the whole‐wheat content of bread or related products and have that increase remain undetected by consumers. This strategy of gradually increasing whole‐wheat content has the potential to markedly increase the consumption of whole grains, thus, improving health.