Does Cheese Grow on Trees? Are Tomatoes Found Underground?

Jul 28, 2017 editor

New research from the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has found that one in ten 14-16-year-olds believe tomatoes grow underground, and a quarter of primary school children believe that cheese comes from a plant.

BNF surveyed over 5,000 school children aged 5-16 years old as part of their annual Healthy Eating Week, and found that 13% of 8-11-year-olds thought pasta came from an animal, and 18% of 5-7-year-olds thought fish fingers were made of chicken.

BNF managing director, and head of education, Roy Ballam, said "We can't control what children access on the internet and elsewhere, but we can ensure that teachers are equipped with accurate information. It has never been more important for schools and teachers to be armed with the correct information so that children and young adults are able to decipher fact and fake news."