Determination of food acceptance in restaurants and sensory evaluation laboratory

• Published in: Current Issues in Hospitality and Tourism Research and Innovations
• Main Author: Chik C.T.; Bachok S.; Sulaiman S.
• Format: Book chapter
• Language: English
• Published: CRC Press 2012
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85055156131&doi=10.1201%2fb12752-56&partnerID=40&md5=5f7f7cbced14fb59f923741718ae00c5

According to food marketing, human acceptability of food is based on its experience. Thus different people with different experience of food will have different perception and acceptance of food. Consumer opinions of food are also influenced by the context in which it is examined and by the expectations of some external factors of food. Previous studies revealed that there are three different classes of variables for appreciation of food-the food itself, individual and the situation of environment. This study seeks to look into the student’s acceptance of food at two different locations, the sensory laboratory and the restaurant at Universiti Teknologi MARA. Consumer panel (n=50) were selected for hedonic test to extract their liking towards two different kinds of crackers in restaurant and sensory laboratory booth. Tests were conducted to examine the acceptance in terms of taste, colour, saltiness, creaminess and overall evaluations of crackers with (cracker 2) and without fibre (cracker 1). Findings showed that there is a significance difference in colour for cracker without fiber in both locations. Panels like the colour of the cracker differently when it is consumed in laboratory booth setting (mean 4.76) and in restaurant (mean 5.29). Cracker with fiber showed different results. There is a significance difference in taste, saltiness and overall evaluations for crackers with fibre. Panels like the taste, saltiness and overall evaluations of crackers with fibre better in laboratory booth than in restaurant. Therefore, different test locations do have impacts on the consumer’s acceptance of food. Further study has to be conducted to test the potential of dine-in restaurant to become valid testing location for food tasting in hospitality research. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group, London.