How Now, Brown Cow? How much do YOUR kids know about where their food comes from?

Well, according to Cadbury, not a lot ! New research from the chocolate brand has revealed some very weird and wonderful myths that children aged between 4 and 8 believe about where their food comes from. There are some absolute shockers in there !

Over one in five (22 per cent) do not know that milk comes from cows and more than one in ten boys (11 per cent) believe milk comes straight from the supermarket

Over a third (32 per cent) of the children likened the ingredients of chocolate to those found in a cake. The top 4 ingredients that children believe are found in chocolate are eggs (20 per cent), flour (12 per cent), plants (9 per cent of four year olds) and wheat (6 per cent of four year olds)

Almost a third of children (29 per cent) believe a cow’s diet consists of sandwiches and pizza (really ?!!)

The Madhouse kids aren't as bad as that luckily, but I did have Pierre asking me to explain how a hen could manage to get an egg out of its bum the other day !

The research was commissioned by Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons and has been followed by a project with foodie mum of two (and author, writer, presenter, blogger and wife of a quarter of McFly !) Giovanna Fletcher. She took some parents and kids back to the farm to learn some truths about food provenance - in particular where the glass and a half of milk used to make each packet of its iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons comes from.

Paradoxically, the survey also revealed that parents across the nation care about food provenance, with a whopping 73 per cent stating that knowing where their food comes from is important to them.

 Catherine Young, Senior Brand Manager for Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons says “Whilst some of the findings from the research are amusing, it has highlighted that more needs to be done to make farming and food provenance as important to children as it is to their parents. We’re really proud that we source our milk from Selkley Vale – a cooperative of farmers from Wiltshire and Gloucestershire farms - and believe it’s important for children to understand the journey of their food. We hope the video will help parents show their children about this in a stimulating and enjoyable way!”

Have your kids come out with any absolute classics? I don't think the Madhouse kids have produced any howlers, but I did make a startling discovery just a few months ago (at the age of 44 !) when I discovered that pineapples grow at ground level rather than up trees !