If you’ve ever suddenly gone off a food you love, scientists can now explain why.
There’s nothing more annoying than suddenly becoming disgusted by chicken mid–bite, despite previously enjoying the dish.
People have taken to social media to complain about the phenomenon, dubbing it the ‘chicken ick’.
And it doesn’t only refer to meat – as people report times when they’ve suddenly gone off eggs, too.
Lorenzo Stafford, associate professor in psychobiological psychology at the university of Portsmouth, has researched the phenomenon.
‘When it comes to the “ick” it’s all about how we deal with our disgust response,’ he wrote on The Conversation.
‘There are a number of reasons why you might suddenly become “weird” about a food that you used to be fine with.
‘If this has ever happened to you, the good news is there are ways to get over it.’
People have taken to social media to complain about getting the ‘chicken ick’. The phenomenon refers to someone suddenly becoming disgusted by the likes of chicken mid–bite
Dr Stafford said one possible reason for getting the ‘ick’ is to do with a change in the way the food is presented.
‘Maybe one time you noticed your chicken tasted, smelled or looked different than it did other times,’ he said.
‘This can lead to a mismatch in what’s expected, which can cause your feelings towards that food to suddenly change.’
It might also be related to whether you prepared the chicken in a different way to normal, as adding a new ingredient that changes the smell or taste of the dish can trigger feelings of disgust.
‘Another possible reason has to do with what you were doing before you got the “ick”,’ Dr Stafford added.
‘If you were scrolling on social media looking at unappetising meals before starting to cook your own meal, this can influence the way you subsequently feel about your own food.’
If you were preparing the dish near someone who expressed disgust – even if they only made a face – this can also influence your own disgust response, he added.
Other factors, such as how hungry you are and even your gender can influence how strongly you feel the ‘ick’.
The phenomenon doesn’t just apply to chicken – as people have also complained about suddenly going off eggs
But if you’ve experienced the ‘chicken ick’, how do you get over it?
Dr Stafford said there are two key ways to try and get over this feeling.
First, he suggests preparing your chicken differently next time. ‘Your disgust might be linked to the specific way the food was prepared,’ he said.
‘The next time chicken is on your menu, try cooking it differently, such as using a different recipe or seasoning, or use a different cut of meat such as chicken breast instead of thighs or wings.
‘This might help you to unlearn your disgust.’
You could also ask someone else to cook it for you – especially if it’s the texture or smell of raw chicken that has put you off.
‘This might make it easier for you to eat the cooked dish,’ he said. ‘Or, buy pre–cooked options from the supermarket that only need to be reheated so you don’t have to handle the raw chicken.’
Removing the cues that cause the ‘ick’ in the first place should act as a reset to help you enjoy the food again, he said.
If neither of the above options work, then if could be that you have formed a negative association with the foods which needs to be ‘unlearned’, he added.
‘In this case, it could take a little more time to retrain yourself,’ he explained.
‘Some suggestions for doing this involve pairing food with something positive, such as a favourite food or listening to your favourite music while eating your meal, or even by changing the colour of plateware.
‘By repeating this a number of times, you’ll condition yourself to the pleasant response – and will hopefully be over your chicken “ick”.’
