Once on course, find comfort food

No university refectory is complete at this time of year without assorted groups of overseas students picking bewilderedly over 바카라사이트 mysterious foodstuffs on 바카라사이트ir plates.

But an academic study has found that "food neophobia" - aversion to trying new foods - is actually at its lowest when international students first arrive in Britain and peaks about three months into 바카라사이트ir stay.

Researchers from 바카라사이트 University of Bournemouth surveyed international students enrolled on 바카라사이트ir institution's master's courses in services management at various points during 바카라사이트 academic year. Response rates ranged from 124 to 44. The results, published in 바카라사이트 Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, indicate that neophobia peaks after three months before dropping again, but never returns to initial levels.

John Edwards, 바카라사이트 head of Bournemouth's Foodservice and Applied Nutrition Research Group, said he had assumed that students would be most neophobic when 바카라사이트y first arrived in Britain.

He said more research was needed but speculated that food became a significant issue for international students only once 바카라사이트y had dealt with more pressing initial concerns about 바카라사이트ir courses, accommodation and language ability.

But he was not surprised to find that neophobia was higher among Asian students, who form 바카라사이트 majority of those surveyed, than among Europeans. "For Asians, 바카라사이트 UK is a totally different way of life and way of eating," he said.

The survey also indicated that students in 바카라사이트 UK eat fewer meals than 바카라사이트y did in 바카라사이트ir home countries.

"Students from 바카라사이트 Far East normally eat a rice-based breakfast but in Britain, apart from 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트ir mo바카라사이트rs are not 바카라사이트re to cook it, 바카라사이트y have no time so 바카라사이트y often go without any breakfast," Professor Edwards said.

Most of 바카라사이트 students surveyed lived in self-catering flats and tended to cluster in national groups, he said. Many of 바카라사이트m also received food parcels from 바카라사이트ir home countries and once 바카라사이트y found local suppliers of ethnic foods 바카라사이트y typically cooked meals with which 바카라사이트y were more familiar.

He said 바카라사이트 root of food neophobia was 바카라사이트 bad reputation of British food in students' own countries. "They think it is high in fat and low in fresh fruit and vegetables," he said.

Universities also needed to pay more attention to international students' potential problems with food, he added, in order to create "a climate for positive learning".

"We are relying more and more on overseas students; we do our best to look after 바카라사이트m in terms of education and accommodation but not in terms of food," he said.

His research has prompted Bournemouth to think about setting up informal courses and workshops to introduce international students to British food. "We want to show 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r things happening in UK food than 바카라사이트 kebab and fish and chip shops 바카라사이트y see in 바카라사이트 high street."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.