One in five children think fish fingers are made from chicken, new study shows

Some 11% think fruit pastels are part of their five-a-day

Stock image of fish fingers, chips and peas on a plate (iStock )

Children across the UK are confused about the origins of key foods, a new poll suggests, with one in five believing fish fingers are made from chicken.

When five- to seven-year-olds were asked where cheese came from, nearly one third said they thought it was made from a plant. Even among an older group of eight- to 11-year-olds, one in four thought the same about the milk-derived produce.

Conversely, 22 per cent of the younger children and 13 per cent of the older group believed animals provide us with pasta.

While 73 per cent of five to seven-year-olds and 92 per cent of eight to 11-year-olds were aware that fish fingers are usually made from haddock or cod, 18 per cent of the younger pupils and 6 per cent of the older ones thought they were made from chicken.

The confusion doesn’t end at age 11, either. One in 10 of those aged 11 to 14 thought tomatoes grow underground, and 22 per cent thought they grow on a bush.

Fruit pastels were also mentioned in the poll, and some 11 per cent of both the young and the older group believed the sweet counted towards their five-a-day.

The findings did show that 31 per cent of 11- to 14-year-olds and 28 per cent of 14- to 16-year-olds said that they knew lots about healthy eating and tried to follow it, while almost half of the younger group and 48 per cent of the older children said they knew lots but either do not follow it or do not always follow it.

Roy Ballam, BNF managing director and head of education said: "Schools and families can and should successfully work together to, in turn, educate children and then motivate them in their endeavours to make healthier choices.

"Furthermore, the links between physical activity, health and diet should be frequently highlighted by the Government's programmes."

Additional reporting by PA