A PROJECT REPORT ON

A STUDY ON PEOPLES FOOD HABITS

TOWARDS SELECTION OF FOODS REF TO
DOMBIVLI , MUMBAI
SUBMITTED BY
KHUSHBOO BIMAL MIRANI
ROLL NO : 33
M.COM (FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING)
SEMESTER IV
(2014-2015)
SUBMITTED TO
UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI
ACADEMIC YEAR
(2014-2015)

S.K.SOMAIYA COLLEGE OF ARTS, COMMERCE

& SCIENCE
VIDYANAGAR, VIDYAVIHAR
MUMBAI 400077

DECLARATION
I, KHUSHBOO BIMAL MIRANI
student of M.com part-II Roll number 33 hereby
declare that the project for the paper Advanced
Auditing,
A STUDY ON PEOPLES FOOD HABITS
TOWARDS SELECTION OF FOODS REF TO
DOMBIVLI , MUMBAI
Submitted by Me for Semester-III during the
academic year 2014-2015, is based on actual
work carried out by me under the guidance and
supervision of
PROF. RAVIKANT B. SANGURDE
I further state that this work is original and not
submitted anywhere else for any examination.

Signature of Student
(Khushboo Bimal Mirani)

EVALUATION CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the undersigned have
assessed and evaluated the project on
A Study On Peoples Food Habits Towards
Selection Of Foods Ref To Dombivli ,
Mumbai
submitted by Mirani Khushboo Bimal student
of
M.com Part-II.
This Project is original to the best of our
knowledge and has been accepted for Internal
Assessment.

Internal Examiner
Principal

(Prof. Ravikant B. Sangurde)

(Dr.

Sangeeta Kohli)

External Examiner

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to
thank the Mumbai University for having Projects
as a part of the M.com Part-II curriculum.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to
Prof. Ravikant B. Sangurde for assigning the
responsibility to prepare
A Study On Peoples Food Habits Towards
Selection Of Foods Ref To Dombivli ,
Mumbai
I would also like to say that the subject was learning,
interesting and exhaustive.

I would like to thank my parents, friends and teachers who

have helped and encouraged me throughout the working of
the Project.

(K.B.MIRANI)

A STUDY ON PEOPLES FOOD HABITS

TOWARDS SELECTION OF FOODS REF TO
DOMBIVLI , MUMBAI

INDEX
Sr.No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Particulars
Statement Of Problem
Hypothesis
Objective Of Study
Scope Of Study
Limitations
Introduction
Literature Review
Questionnaire

Pg.No
6
6
7
8
9
10
22
33
5

9
10
11

Data Processing
Conclusion
References

34
38
39

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
A STUDY ON PEOPLES FOOD HABITS
TOWARDS SELECTION OF FOODS REF TO
DOMBIVLI , MUMBAI

HYPOTHESIS
1. People are least concerned about their health while
selecting food
2. Junk Food is becoming youth choice
3. People feel homemade food is much better than food
served at fast food outlets.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
1. To assess the knowledge of adolescents regarding health hazards of fast food

consumption by structured knowledge questionnaire.

2. To prepare and conduct a planned teaching program on health hazards of fast
food consumption among adolescents.
3. To evaluate the effectiveness of planned teaching program on health hazards
of fast food consumption among adolescents by structured knowledge
questionnaire.

SCOPE OF STUDY
The Scope of this study is to develop a consumer behavioral profile for
the selection of fast-food by identifying the preference factors. The specific
factors are as follows.
1. To identify the consumer preferences of the fast food products.
2. To identify the factors related to consumer preferences of the fast
food products.
3. The group influence regarding fast food choices.
4. To find the situational influences that affects the fast food
buyers.
5. To identify the evaluative criteria that the consumers use for
selecting fast food products.
6. To provide suggestions to improve the existing situation of the fast food.

LIMITATION
1. One of the major limitations was to convince respondents for getting data
as most of people were not ready to share their views.
2. The responses of some of the respondents were biased so we have to
reject Them in our study and we have to study more respondents
3. As we have used convenience sampling so it might be having probability
errors in it i.e. true representation of population might not be there.
4. As this was our first project so we might be wrong in the way of asking
questions and analysis of data

INRODUCTION
Food choice: simplified schematic of factors filtered to final decision
Research into food choice investigates how people select the food they eat.
This topic is the subject of research in nutrition, food science , psychology,
anthropology , sociology , and other branches of the natural and social sciences.
It is also of great practical interest to the food industry and especially its
marketing endeavors.
Social scientists have developed different conceptual frameworks of food choice
behavior. Theoretical models of behavior incorporate both individual and
environmental factors affecting the formation or modification of behaviors.
Social cognitive theory examines the interaction of environmental, personal,
and behavioral factors.
An interdisciplinary topic, food choice comprises psychological and
sociological aspects (including food politics and phenomena such as
vegetarianism or religious dietary laws ), economic issues (for instance, how
food prices or marketing campaigns influence choice) and sensory aspects (such
as the study of the organoleptic qualities of food).
10

Taste preference and sensory attributes guide food choice. Other factors
involved in food choice include cost, availability, convenience, cognitive
restraint, and cultural familiarity. In addition, environmental cues and increased
portion sizes play a role in the choice and amount of foods consumed.

Taste preference
Researchers have found that consumers cite taste as the primary determinant of
food choice. Genetic differences in the ability to perceive bitter taste are
believed to play a role in the willingness to eat bitter-tasting vegetables and in
the preferences for sweet taste and fat content of foods.
Approximately 25 percent of the US population are supertasters and 50 percent
are tasters. Epidemiological studies suggest that nontasters are more likely to eat
a wider variety of foods and to have a higher body mass index (BMI), a measure
of weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.

Environmental influences
Many environmental cues influence food choice and intake, although consumers
may not be aware of their effects (see mindless eating ). Examples of
environmental influences include portion size, serving aids, food variety, and
ambient characteristics (discussed below).

Portion size
Portion sizes in the United States have increased markedly in the past several
decades. For example, from 1977 to 1996, portion sizes increased by 60 percent
for salty snacks and 52 percent for soft drinks. Importantly, larger product
portion sizes and larger servings in restaurants and kitchens consistently
11

increase food intake. Larger portion sizes may even cause people to eat more of
foods that are ostensibly distasteful; in one study individuals ate significantly
more stale, two-week-old popcorn when it was served in a large versus a
medium-sized container.

Serving aids
Over 70 percent of one's total intake is consumed using serving aids such as
plates, bowls, glasses, or utensils.Consequently, serving aids can act as visual
cues or cognitive shortcuts that inform us of when to stop serving, eating, or
drinking.
In one study, teenagers poured and consumed 74 percent more juice into short,
wide glasses compared to tall, narrow glasses of the same volume. Similarly,
veteran bartenders tend to pour 26 percent more liquor into short, wide glasses
versus tall, narrow glasses.
This may be explained in part by Piaget's vertical-horizontal illusion, in which
people tend to focus on and overestimate an object's vertical dimension at the
expense of its horizontal dimension, even when the two dimensions are identical
in length.
In addition, larger bowls and spoons can also cause people to serve and
consume a greater volume of food, although this effect may not also extend to
larger plates. It has been suggested that people serve more food into larger
dishes due to the Delboeuf illusion, a phenomenon in which two identical
circles are perceived to be different in size depending upon the sizes of larger
circles surrounding them.
Plate color has also been shown to influence perception and liking; in one study
individuals perceived a dessert to be significantly more likable, sweet, and
intense when it was served on a white versus a black plate.

Food variety
As a given food is increasingly consumed, the hedonic pleasantness of the
food's taste, smell, appearance, and texture declines, an effect commonly
referred to as sensory-specific satiety . Consequently, increasing the variety of
foods available can increase overall food intake. This effect has been observed
across both genders and across multiple age groups, although there is some
evidence that it may be most pronounced in adolescence and diminished among
older adults.
Even the perceived variety of food can increase consumption; individuals
consumed more M&M candies when they came in ten versus seven colors,
12

despite identical taste. Furthermore, simply making a food assortment appear

more disorganized versus organized can increase intake.
It has been suggested that this variety effect may be evolutionarily adaptive, as
complete nutrition cannot be found in a single food, and increased dietary
variety increases the likelihood of meeting nutritional requirements for various
vitamins and minerals.

AMBIENT CHARACTERISTICS
Salience
Increased food salience in one's environment (including both food visibility and
proximity) has been shown to increase consumption. Regarding visibility, food
is consumed at a faster rate or at a greater volume when it is presented in clear
versus opaque containers.

13

Having large stockpiles of food products at home can increase their rate of
consumption initially; however, after about a week's time the consumption rate
may drop back down to the level of non-stockpiled foods, perhaps due to
sensory-specific satiety.
Salient foods may increase intake by serving as a continuous consumption
reminder and increasing the number of food-related cognitive choices an
individual must make. Additionally, some studies have found that obese
individuals may be more susceptible to the influence of food salience and
external cues than individuals with a normal-weight BMI.

Distractions
Distractions can increase food intake by initiating patterns of consumption,
obscuring ability to accurately monitor consumption, and extending meal
duration. For example, greater television viewing has been associated with
increased meal frequency and caloric intake.
A study in Australian children found that those who watched two or more hours
of television per day were more likely to consume savory snacks and less likely
to consume fruit compared to those who watched less television. Other
distractors such as reading, movie watching, and listening to the radio have also
been associated with increased consumption.

Temperature
Energy expenditure increases when ambient temperature is above or below the
thermal neutral zone (the range of ambient temperature in which energy
expenditure is not required for homeothermy). It has been suggested that energy
intake also increases during conditions of extreme or prolonged cold
temperatures.
Relatedly, researchers have posited that reduced variability of ambient
temperature indoors could be a mechanism driving obesity, as the percentage of
US homes with air conditioning increased from 23 to 47 percent in recent
decades. In addition, several human and animal studies have shown that
temperatures above the thermoneutral zone significantly reduce food intake.
However, overall there are few studies indicating altered energy intake in
response to extreme ambient temperatures and the evidence is primarily
anecdotal.

Lighting
There is a dearth of research investigating relationships between lighting and
intake; however, extant literature suggests that harsh or glaring lighting
14

promotes eating faster, whereas soft or warm lighting increases food intake by
increasing comfort level, lowering inhibition, and extending meal duration.

Music
Compared to fast-tempo music, low-tempo music in a restaurant setting has
been associated with longer meal duration and greater consumption of both food
and drink, including alcoholic beverages. Similarly, when individuals hear
preferred versus non-preferred music they tend to stay at dining establishments
longer and spend more money on food and drink.

Expert advice
In 2010, for the first time, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA)
highlighted the role of the food environment in American food choices and
recommended changes in the food environment to support individual behavior
modification. The influence of environmental cues and other subtle factors have
increased interest in using the principles of behavioral economics to change
food behaviors.

Social influences
Presence and behavior of others
There is a substantial amount of research indicating that the presence of others
influences food intake (discussed below).In reviewing this literature, Herman,
Roth, and Polivy have outlined three distinct effects:
1. Social facilitation When eating in groups, people tend to eat more than
they do when alone.
In daily diary studies, individuals have been found to eat from 30 to 40-50
percent more while in the presence of others versus eating alone. In fact, some
research has indicated that the rate of intake is best described as a linear
function of the number of people present, such that meals eaten with one, four,
or seven other people were 33, 69, and 96 percent larger than meals eaten alone,
respectively. In addition to these observational findings, there is also
experimental evidence for social facilitation effects.
Meal duration may be an important factor in social facilitation effects;
observational research has identified positive correlations between group size
and meal duration, and further investigation has confirmed meal duration as a
mediator of group size-intake relationships.

15

2. Modeling When eating in the presence of others who consistently eat either
a lot or a little, individuals tend to mirror this behavior by also eating either a
lot or a little.
Early studies of modeling effects investigated food intake alone versus in the
presence of others who either ate either a very small amount (1 cracker) or a
larger amount (20-40 crackers). Findings were consistent, with individuals
consuming more when paired with a high-consumption companion than a lowconsumption companion, whereas eating alone was associated with an
intermediate amount of intake.
Research manipulating eating social norms within real-life actual friendships
has also demonstrated modeling effects, as individuals ate less in the company
of friends who had been instructed to restrict their intake versus those who had
not been given these instructions.
Furthermore, these modeling effects have been reported across a range of
diverse demographics, affecting both normal-weight and overweight
individuals, as well as both dieters and non-dieters. Finally, regardless of
whether individuals are very hungry or very full, modeling effects remain very
strong, suggesting that modeling may trump signals of hunger or satiety sent
from the gut.
3. Impression management When people eat in the presence of others who
they perceive to be observing or evaluating them, they tend to eat less than
they would otherwise eat alone.
Leary and Kowalski define impression management in general as the process by
which individuals attempt to control the impressions others form of them.
Previous research has shown that certain types of eating companions make
people more or less eager to convey a good impression, and individuals often
attempt to achieve this goal by eating less. For example, people who are eating
in the presence of unfamiliar others during a job interview or first date tend to
eat less.
In a series of studies by Mori, Chaiken and Pliner, individuals were given an
opportunity to snack while getting acquainted with a stranger. In the first study,
both males and females tended to eat less while in the presence of an oppositesex eating companion, and for females this effect was most pronounced when
the companion was most desirable. It also seems that women may consume less
in order to exude a feminine identity; in a second study, women who were made
to believe that a male companion viewed them as masculine ate less than
women who believed they were perceived as feminine.
16

The weight of eating companions may also influence the volume of food
consumed. Obese individuals have been found to eat significantly more in the
presence of other obese individuals compared to normal-weight others, while
normal-weight individuals' eating appears unaffected by the weight of eating
companions.
Awareness Although the presence and behavior of others can have a strong
impact on eating behavior, many individuals are not aware of these effects, and
instead tend to attribute their eating behavior primarily to other factors such as
hunger and taste. Relatedly, people tend to perceive factors like cost and health
effects as significantly more influential than social norms in determining their
own fruit and vegetable consumption.

Weight bias
Individuals who are overweight or obese may suffer from stigmatization or
discrimination related to their weight, also called weightism or weight bias.
There is emerging evidence that experiences with weight stigma may be a type
of stereotype threat which leads to behavior consistent with the stereotype; for
example, overweight and obese individuals ate more food after exposure to a
weight stigmatizing condition. Additionally, in a study of over 2,400 overweight
and obese women, 79 percent of women reported coping with weight stigma on
multiple occasions by eating more food.

Cognitive dietary restraint

Cognitive dietary restraint refers to the condition where one is constantly
monitoring and attempting to restrict food intake in order to achieve or maintain
a desired body weight. Strategies used by restrained eaters include choosing
reduced-calorie and reduced-fat foods, in addition to restricting overall caloric
intake.
Individuals are classified as restrained eaters based on responses to validated
questionnaires such as the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire and the restraint
subscale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Interestingly, recent
research suggests that the combination of restraint and disinhibition more
accurately predict food choice than dietary restraint alone.
Disinhibitingis another factor measured by the Three Factor Eating
Questionnaire. A positive score reflects a tendency towards overeating.
Individuals scoring high on the disinhibition subscale eat in response to
negative emotion, overeat when others are eating, and when in the presence of
tasty or comfort foods.
17

Gender differences
When it comes to selecting food, women are more likely than men to choose
and consume foods based on health concerns or food contents. One possible
explanation for this observed difference is women may be more concerned with
body weight issues when choosing certain types of foods. There may be an
inverse relationship, as adolescent girls are noted to have lower intakes of
vitamins and minerals and ingest fewer fruits/vegetables and dairy foods than
adolescent boys.

Age differences
Across the lifespan, different eating habits can be observed based on socioeconomic status, workforce conditions, financial security, and taste preference
amongst other factors. A significant portion of middle-aged and older adults
responded to choosing foods due to concerns with body-weight and heart
disease, whereas adolescents select food without consideration of the impact on
their health.
Convenience, appeal of food (taste and appearance), and hunger and food
cravings were found to be the greatest determinants of an adolescents food
choice. Food choice can change from an early to mature age as a result of a
more sophisticated taste palate, income, and concerns about health and
wellness.

Socio-economic status
Income and level of education influence food choice via the availability of the
resources to purchase a higher quality food and awareness of nutritious
alternatives. Diet may vary depending on the availability of income to purchase
more healthier, nutrient-rich foods.
For a low-income family, pricing plays a larger role than taste and quality in
whether the food will be purchased. This may partly explain the lower life
expectancy of lower-income groups. Similarly, higher levels of education equate
to higher expectations from functional foods and avoidance of food additives.
Compared to conventional foods, organic foods have a higher cost and people
may have limited access if generating a low income. The variety of foods
carried in neighborhood stores may also influence diet ("food deserts").

18

FAST FOODS AND THEIR IMPACT ON HEALTH

What is a Junk Food?
Junk food simply means an empty calorie food. An empty calorie food is a high
calorie or calorie rich food which lacks in micronutrients such as vitamins,
minerals, or amino acids, and fiber but has high energy (calories). These foods
dont contain the nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy. Hence, these
foods that has poor nutritional value is considered unhealthy and may be called
as junk food. Junk food is an informal term applied to some foods which are
perceived to have little or no nutritional value, but which also have ingredients
considered unhealthy when eaten regularly, or to those considered unhealthy to
consume at all. The term junk food was coined as a slang in the public interest
in 1972 by Michael Jacobson, Director of the Center for Science, Washington
D.C [4]. What makes these foods to be called as Junk is that it contains high
levels of refined sugar, white flour, trans fat and polyunsaturated fat, salt, and
numerous food additives such as monosodium glutamate and tartrazine; at the
same time, it is lacking in proteins, vitamins, essential minerals, fiber, among
other healthy attributes. These foods have little enzyme producing vitamins and
minerals and but contain high level of calories in their place. A food that is high
in fat, sodium, and/or sugar and provides high calories yet useless in value is
generally known as a junk food. On the contrary, junk food is easy to carry,
purchase and consume. Generally, a junk food is given a very attractive
appearance by adding food additives and colours to enhance flavour, texture and
for increasing longshelf life
Health impact of junk foods
Junk food allows people to eat without planning eat not only when it is pre-set
meal time, but also when they have spare time. Ingredients of junk foods give
great taste and make them addictive [8]. Fat and sugar in combination are
capable of producing a dopamine-driven surge of intense pleasure in people
with a propensity for addictive behaviour. On the other side, it must be noted
that they are hazardous to health too. High fat content, particularly cholesterol,
19

sugar and salts have their adverse effects on health. Soaring calorie content with
sugar can lead to obesity [9]. Dense sugar content can cause dental cavities and
type 2 diabetes mellitus [10]. A short-term adverse effect as a result of eating
junk foods lack of energy which occurs because junk foods dont provide
essential nutrients, even though they can be very much sufficing, due to which
one feels weakened. Unfortunately, meals consisting of junk food dont fill up
for long. Because they are lacking in fibre, and are made of processed foods,
they are rated highon the glycaemic index, which means they provide a quick
rise in blood sugar, but this also falls quickly, and giving rise to hunger.
Cholesterol and salt are known to setoff blood pressure, stroke and heart
diseases in a chain. Excessive salts can affect functioning of kidneys too. Excess
fats and oils along with spices added in these foods act as an irritant to gastric
mucosa leading to excess secretion of hydrochloric acid, landing in gastritis.
Poor concentration is another result of junk food habit known to affect in
immediate and medium term periods. When a sumptuous junk meal rich in oil is
taken, there is a feeling of drowsiness and failure to concentrate. The junk food
eating over a substainal period of time can drop blood circulation due to fat
accumulation. Lack of vital oxygen, nutrients and proteins particularly can stale
the grey (brain) cells temporarily. Most of the times these junk foods contain
colours, which are often inedible, carcinogenic and harmful to the body.
Flavourings and colourings can be allergic causing asthma, rashes and
hyperactivity. Animal studies on rats have demonstrated the ill effects of
consuming junk foods during pregnancy which affects the health of foetus.
Avoiding Junk Food
Awareness on junk food facts is lacking amongst every individual in the
community. Eating a healthy diet is a hard work. The onway to avoid junk food
is to encourage eating healthy snacks and more of the following foods, which
are usually considered to be a part of a healthy diet:
foods that are low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
high-fiber foods, including whole-grain foods, vegetables and fruits
foods that have only a moderate amount of sugar and salt
calcium-rich foods, to meet daily calcium requirements
iron-rich foods, to meet daily requirements for iron
Measures to be taken, especially for children:
Since junk food and children have a strange affinity to each other, try and
avoid children to get habituated to such foods.
Controlling children from eating junk foods in schools is another step that
helps in a long term. School administration along with parents has a
combined responsibility to educate children about avoiding junk foods in
school premises.
20

 Junk food - the name itself is tempting enough. Eliminating the

temptation is one way to avoid it. Keeping good food nearby and having
meals right on time certainly helps in this direction.
Developing awareness for fitness will certainly separate junk food and
good diet. As quoted in an article Wanted child lock for junk food in
The Telegraph published on 16th February 2009, Calcutta Edition by
VarunaVerma But educating parents about the harmful effects of junk food
could also help children to kick the habit.
The World Consumer Rights Day on March 15 will begin a campaign against
the marketing of unhealthy foods to children. Amongst school children, many
strategic ideas can be incorporated in schools such as Bring fruit at school
[26], which aims to cut down at junk food consumption and its addiction
promoting healthy food habits among them. Some of the school-based research
and initiatives can open doors for identifying promising strategies to develop
fruit and vegetable environment amongst students in school settings [27, 28].
Finally, not all foods are junk; moreover, our body has enough stamina to take
care off occasional junk food eating. One need not have to avoid all junk food
all the time, if you dont want to do so. The food pyramid even allows for some
discretionary calories that we can all use to eat some luxury foods, including
those with fat or added sugar. The fact that needs to be kept in mind is that most
peoples allowance of discretionary calories [29] is very small, which ranges
from 130 to 290 calories. Often, people overdo it, adding too many calories
each day [30].

21

LITERATURE REVIEW
CONSUMER PERCEPTION ABOUT FAST FOOD IN INDIA: AN
EXPLORATORY STUDY
ANITA GOYAL AND N.P. SINGH MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE, SUKHRALI, INDIA
Abstract Purpose This paper seeks to estimate importance of various factors
affecting the choice of fast food outlets by Indian young consumers.
Design/methodology/approach The study applies multivariate statistical
tools to estimate importance of various factors affecting the choice of fast food
outlets by Indian young consumers. In addition, the authors analysed the
consumption patterns, impact of hygiene and nutritional values, and rating of
various attributes of McDonalds and Nirulas.
Findings Results indicate that the young Indian consumer has passion for
visiting fast food outlets for fun and change but home food is their first choice.
They feel homemade food is much better than food served at fast food outlets.
They have the highest value for taste and quality (nutritional values) followed
by ambience and hygiene. Three dimensions (service and delivery dimension,
product dimension, and quality dimension) of fast food outlets attributes are
identified based on factor analysis results. The two fast food outlets rating
differs significantly on the seven attributes. McDonalds scores are higher on all
attributes except variety. Further, consumers feel that fast food outlets must
provide additional information on nutritional values and hygiene conditions
inside kitchen.
Practical implications Fast food providers need to focus on quality and
variety of food besides other service parameters. There is need to communicate
the information about hygiene and nutrition value of fast food which will help
in building trust in the food provided by fast food players. Originality/value
Estimates importance of various factors affecting the choice of fast food outlets
by Indian young consumers.
Keywords Perception, Fast foods, Factor analysis, India
22

Paper type Research paper

Introduction
Food diversity in India is an implicit characteristic of Indias diversified culture
consisting of different regions and states within. Traditionally, Indians like to
have home-cooked meals a concept supported religiously as well as
individually. However, with times due to increasing awareness and influence of
western culture, there is a slight shift in food consumption patterns among urban
Indian families. It started with eating outside and moved on to accepting a wide
variety of delicacies from world-over. Liberalization of the Indian economy in
the early 1990s and the subsequent entry of new players set a significant change
in lifestyles and the food tastes of Indians. Fast food is one which gained
acceptance of Indian palate after the multinational fast food players adapted the
basic Indian food requirements viz. vegetarian meals and selected nonvegetarian options excluding beef and pork totally from their menu.
Multinational fast food outlets initially faced protests and non-acceptance from
Indian consumers. This was due to primary perception that these fast food
players serve only chicken and do not serve vegetarian meals. In addition, fast
food isperceived expensive besides being out-of-way meals in Indian culture.
Today, fast food industry is getting adapted to Indian food requirements and is
growing in India. It is gaining acceptance primarily from Indian youth and
younger generations and is becoming part of life. Keeping in view the Indian
habits and changing preferences towards food consumption, this study has its
focus to understand the factors affecting the perception of Indian youth, in the
age group of 20-30 years, towards consumption of fast food as well as towards
making choice of fast food outlets.

Fast food
From onion rings to double cheeseburgers, fast food is one of the worlds fastest
growing food types. Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced, and readily
available alternatives to home cooked food. While convenient and economical
for a busy lifestyle, fast foods are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat,
sugar, and salt[1]. Many other definitions are proposed for fast foods in the
literature. A few of these are mentioned below: .
Definition 1. Fast food have been defined by Bender and Bender (1995) as a
general term used for a limited menu of foods that lend themselves to
production-line techniques; suppliers tend to specialize in products such as
hamburgers, pizzas, chicken, or sandwiches. .
Definition 2. In Data Monitors (2005) survey the fast food market is defined as
the sale of food and drinks for immediate consumption either on the premises or
in designated eating areas shared with other foodservice operators, or for
consumption elsewhere. .
Definition 3[2]. As per the free dictionary fast food is inexpensive food,
such as hamburgers and fried chicken, prepared and served quickly. .
23

Definition 4[3]. According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary fast food is

designed for ready availability, use, or consumption and with little
consideration given to quality or significance. Fast food is a very fast growing
industry in world as well as in India especially in urban areas (small and large
cities). However, not much research literature is available on fast food
preferences of consumers especially young consumers in India. This article that
is based on an exploratory study is an effort to fill that gap in the literature in the
context of North India. The objectives of this exploratory study are as follows:

Objectives of the study .

To identify the factors affecting the choice of (Indian youth) consumers
for fast food .
To study the consumption pattern towards fast foods particularly with
respect to the frequency of visits and choice of fast food outlets.
To identify the impact of hygiene and nutritional value of fast foods on
consumer purchase decision .
To study the consumer perceptions about two popular fast food outlets in
National Capital Region (NCR), New Delhi.

Fast food industry in India

According to worldwatch.org, Indias fast-food industry[4] is growing by 40
percent a year and supposed to generate over a billion dollars in sales in 2005 as
per their estimates. Before the entry of multinational fast food outlets, Nirulas
was a popular domestic fast food provider for eating-out. Nirulas started with
ice-cream parlours and later moved on the range of fast food including burgers,
pizzas, sandwiches etc. Established in 1934, Nirulas today is a diversified
group having a chain of Elegant Business Hotels, Waiter Service Restaurants,
Family Style Restaurants, Ice Cream Parlours, Pastry Shops and Food
Processing Plants in India. The chain with over 60 outlets operating in five
states successfully caters to the Indian palate of over 50,000 guest everyday for
over 70 years[5].
Wimpy was another fast food provider besides Nirulas in Indian market.
Wimpy was the only multinational fast food outlet in India before 1990s with
one outlet in New Delhi. In the initial years of its operations, Wimpy used to be
visited by foreigners in India. Indians were occasional visitors. Today Wimpy
has 8 outlets in the capital city New Delhi and it is expanding its menu with
Indian dishes with a view to attract Indian consumer.
After the liberalization policy that came in force in 1991, fast food industry
grown in India as multinational fast food providers have set up their business
either jointly with Indian partners or independently. McDonalds signed two
joint ventures one with AmitJatia and another one with VikramBakshi in April

24

1995. The first outlet was opened in New Delhi. It has 50 outlets in North India
and 76 in total all over India. It aims for 100 outlets by the end of 2006[6].
In 1995, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) also entered the Indian market and
opened its first outlet in Delhi. In 1996, Dominos set up base in India by
entering into a long-term franchisee agreement with the Bhartia Brothers who
had businesses in chemicals and fertilizers. By 2000, Dominos had presence in
all the major cities and towns in India. Dominos had grown from one outlet in
1995 to 101 outlets in April 2001. Pizza Hut entered India in June 1996 with its
first outlet in Bangalore. Initially, the company operated company-owned
outlets and then moved on the franchisee owned restaurants.
McDonalds, Dominos, Pizza Hut and Nirulas are the most popular and
frequently visited fast food outlets. KFC has limited outlets and has faced
number of problems since entry in India. Besides these, there are Pizza Express
and Pizza Corner of which are not so popular. With changing life style and
aggressive marketing by fast food outlets, fast food is also becoming popular in
small towns; therefore, success of existing fast food outlets and entry of more is
inevitable (Gupta, 2003).

Fast food and consumption patterns

According to the findings of the recent online survey from AC Nielson[7, 8]
India being at the seventh place, is among the top ten markets for weekly fast
food consumption among the countries of Asia-Pacific region. Over 70 per cent
of urban Indians consume food from take-away restaurants once a month or
more frequently. Survey indicates that Pizza Hut is the most preferred fast food
outlet in India. Identifying the drivers for preference of one-brand over another,
the survey results indicate that Indians (66 per cent) are amongst the consumers
who consider hygiene and cleanliness their most important criterion for
selection. A total of 24 per cent of Indians use the quality ofservice as a decision
making criterion to purchase a fast food brands offering and 22 per cent rely on
their perception of whether a take-away brand offers them healthy food options.
Kara et al. (1995) has presented the consumers perceptions of and preferences
for fast-food restaurants in the US and Canada. According to their study, the
consumers in the age of 12 to 24 years look for variety, price, delivery service
and location in America and for price and novelties in Canada. In the age group
of 46 years to above 55 years cleanliness, nutritional value, quality and taste are
considered by Americans and preference is given to nutritional value and
seating capacity by Canadians in identifying fast food restaurants. In the middle
age group of 25 to 45 years, Americans preferred for speed and friendly
personnel whereas Canadians looked for speed, quality and service. Brown et al.
(2000) emphasized the need for nutritional awareness and fast food preferences
of young consumers during adolescent years. Davies and Smith (2004) have
analysed the importance of nutritional values of fast food and also information
printed/disclosed by the fast food providers in London.
25

In addition to the factors considered for choosing a fast food outlet, there are
research studies towards the nutritional value of fast food. A survey of more
than 9,000 consumers nationwide in US has shown that about 25 percent of
those who eat fast foods and drink sugary, carbonated soft drinks generally
consume more calories, fats, carbohydrates, added sugars and proteins than
those who do not (Bowman, 2005). According to the study of McNeal et al.
(1980), respondents felt that meals were moderately nutritious and a good food
buy, but they were fattening and contained harmful additives. These findings
further indicate that although the consumers perceive the nutritional aspects of
fast food meals to be important, they often ignore the aspects in practice.
Adams (2005) paper outlines the bases for establishing fast food industry
responsible for obesity as articulated in litigation against fast food chains in US.
In Indian context, there is high concern towards health in twenty-first century.
There are health related articles in daily newspapers, and health shows on
television. There are special health related magazines that are now very popular.
Health related articles do mention to consume more fruits, vegetables, water and
to consume less or nil of junk food including fast food being high on fat and
calories. Recent news article by Barker (2006) indicates that Indians are facing
the problem of obesity and among kinds of food fast food is one of the reasons
for the same. However, there is gap of a particular research in Indian context to
have a link between the health problems and fast food consumption. In future,
genetically modified food may take the place of fast food of today (Onyango et
al., 2004; Sharma, 2005).

Methodology
Sampling unit
Samples for the study consisted of youth segment (indicated as consumer in this
study) in the age group of 20 to 27 years. Convenience samples are drawn from
NCR region among the college students. Our definition of convenience samples
includes only one dimension that is easy access to the sample units other wise it
was random selection of individuals from a large number of customers at the
fast food outlets. This segment of population was selected due to their adoption
of modern lifestyle pattern inclined towards eating outside and socializing with
friends. The data were collected using astructured questionnaire. Data were
collected from the targeted customer while they were in malls or in fast food
outlets. Questionnaires were handed over to them with a request for filling at the
spot. Due care has been taken to reduce possible biases in selecting the young
customers for the purpose of data collection by way of asking few questions to
them in relation with their eating habits and demographic profile. In addition, a
thorough analysis was done for each filled-in questionnaire to see the
consistency of data provided by targeted customer specifically for customers
who had filled the questionnaire when they were with their peers. In such cases
many incomplete questionnaires were found by the authors. Such questionnaires
26

were not considered worthy for analyses and were rejected. The questionnaire
had the following dimensions:

demographics of the respondent such as age, qualification and marital

status;

behaviour of visiting fast food outlets such as time of the day, getting
home delivery, pressure from friends, influenced by nutritional values etc.

factors affecting selection of fast food outlets; . comparisons between fast

food outlets on various parameters such as service speed, price, hygiene,
seating space, food taste, variety, and ambience etc.;

media for source of information for fast food outlets; and

provision of information sharing on various items such as nutrition,
hygiene conditions etc.
Sample size
Since it is an exploratory study, a sample size of 200 thought to be an adequate
one. Accordingly 200 respondents from the target population were approached
to fill in the questionnaire. Out of 200 only 171 respondents data were valid.
Selection of fast food outlets
In all there are six fast food outlets in this region that is Nirulas, McDonalds,
Pizza Hut, Wimpy, Dominos, KFC, and Pizza Corner as mentioned in the
introduction. However, in the sample of this study not many were
customers/visitors of Wimpy and Pizza Corner.
Methods of data analysis
Data were subject to statistical analysis such as descriptive statistical analysis
and frequency distribution. This analysis was applicable to mainly categorized
data. For scaled data, reliability analysis is applied before subjecting the data for
testing mean difference using t-test, and carrying out factor analysis (Welles and
Sheth, 1971). The reliability analysis was done with a view to identify
inconsistencies in the data set. To make comparison of ratings, t-test was
applied to the mean scores of two major fast food outlets that are McDonalds
and Nirulas. Though, the exploratory study does not consist of large number of
variables but still data were subjected to factor analysis as one of the most used
tool for exploratory data analysis (Santos and Clegg, 1999). It explains the
association occurring between scale level response.

Result and discussion

27

The food habits of youngsters are influenced by many factors such as

environment at home, educational environment, availability and accessibility to
fast food providers, and social environment in their surroundings. In addition,
emergence of traits of independence in their eating habits, nutritional education,
divergence of food preferences at home and at fast food outlets and ambience of
place for socializing affects their visit and liking of fast food outlets. The results
of data analysis with respect to these issues of food consumption behaviour of
youngsters vis-a`-vis fast food outlets are presented in the following subsections.
Demographics of the respondents
As mentioned above, data were collected with respect to three demographics of
the youngsters, i.e. educational background (science stream, commerce and art
stream and engineering stream), age (15-20 years, 21-25 years, 25-30 years, and
30-35 years), and marital status. Based on the analysis of data, it was found that
none of the respondents except two were married. A total of 92.8 per cent
respondents were in 21-25 years age category. It means there were not many
variations in case of age and marital status. However, 42.1 percent respondents
were from the art and commerce stream and 48 per cent from the engineering
stream and the rest were from science backgrounds that do not make a
significant difference either way.
Consumer behaviour with respect to timing of visits, preference of a
particular fast food outlet, purpose of visit and factors influencing the visits
Frequency distribution presented in Table I indicates that going for snacks is
most preferred time for visiting fast food outlet followed by dinner and lunch.
Young consumers of fast foods visit fast food outlets one to two times in a week
or in a month. It is not a regular behaviour of their eating habits (Table I). Based
on multiple answer questions, it can be inferred that McDonalds is the most
favoured fast food outlet (Table II) followed by Pizza Hut, Nirulas and
Dominos. Most of the young prefer Dominos for home orders followed by
Pizza Hut, Nirulas and McDonalds (Table III). Further, based on multiple
answer questions it is inferred that their preference to visit a particular fast food
outlet is influenced by friends in 93 per cent of cases (Table IV) followed by
relatives and other factors.

Rating of fast food outlets attributes

With a view to identify major attributes for choosing eating outlets, the data
were collected on six attributes of fast food outlets, that is:
(1) Variety of food.
(2) Food taste and quality.
(3) Ambience and hygiene.
(4) Service speed.
28

(5) Price.
(6) Location.
Data were collected using five point Like type scale. For the purpose of ranking,
attributes mean scores along with standard error and mode values (in brackets)
were calculated and presented in Table V. The mean scores indicate that food
taste and quality has highest importance in the mind of fast food consumers
while selecting a fast food outlet for outings followed by ambience and hygiene,
service speed, price, varieties and location of the outlet. Location of the outlet
has minimum mode value of three. This clearly indicates that young consumer
is attracted more with quality,ambience and hygiene conditions. It is in the line
of findings of other surveys (Nichani, 2005; ANI, 2006).
The data were also subjected to reliability test and factor analysis. The value of
reliability coefficient is greater than 0.70, an accepted figure for reliability of
data. The value of Kaiser-Meyor-Olkin (KMO), the measure of sampling
adequacy is 0.742 and the chi-square value of Bartletts test of Sphericity is
163.772 with 15 degrees of freedom and significance value of 0.00. The value
of KMO suggests that degree of common variance is middling and the values of
Bartletts test are indicative that sample inter-correlation matrix did not come
from a population in which inter-correlation matrix is an identity matrix.
Based on the factor analysis, three factors/components emerged to explain
71.306 per cent variation as shown in Table VI. The total variation explained by
factor 1 is 27.370 per cent, followed by factor 2 (26.781 per cent) and factor 3
(17.155 per cent). Further, the proportion of variance in each variable accounted
(communality) for by the three factors is not the same as presented in Table VI.
The factor loading indicates that ambience, service speed, location of the outlet
correlates (loads) high on factor 1 (service delivery dimension), varieties and
price on factor 2 (product dimension) and food taste and quality on factor 3
(quality dimension).
Consumer perception and factors affecting their visits
Most of the young Indian consumers visit fast food outlets for change and fun as
indicated by the results presented in Table VII. However, only 3 per cent feel
that fast food outlets offer healthy food. Majority of the consumers believe that
fast foods have inadequate nutritional values (Table VIII). Another set of results
indicates youngconsumers are very particular about nutritional value and
hygiene factor of fast food outlets. Young consumers rated hygiene factor very
high with a mean score of 4.50 out of 5 (Table IX). These results are based on
multi-answer questions.

Comparative analysis of McDonalds and Nirulas

With a view to compare and identify major attributes for choosing the two
identified fast food outlets, the data were collected on seven attributes of fast
food outlets such as:
29

(1) Service speed.

(2) Price.
(3) Hygiene.
(4) Seating space.
(5) Food taste.
(6) Variety.
(7) Ambience.
In this case also data were collected using five point Likert type scale. The data
were subjected to reliability analysis, z-test, factor analysis and descriptive
statistics. For the purpose of ranking, attributes mean scores along with
standard error and mode values (in brackets) for McDonalds and Nirulas are
calculated and presented in Table X. The mean score is highest for service and
hygiene followed by price, food taste, ambience, seating space and variety in
case of McDonalds. On the other hand, Nirulas highest mean score is for
variety followed by hygiene, food taste, price, seating space, ambience and
service. Service factor has highest score in case of McDonalds butlowest for
Nirulas. It is evident from the significance values of Table X that for the seven
attributes; there is a significant difference between mean scores of McDonalds
and Nirulas. It means that McDonalds and Nirulas are considered out rightly
different fast food outlets based of seven features by Indian young consumers.
The value of Cronbachs alpha (reliability coefficient), Kaiser-Mayor-Olkin
(KMO), the measure of sampling adequacy and chi-square value of Bartletts
test of Sphericity are given in Table XI. The values of Cronbachs alpha are
greater than 0.70 in both cases that is McDonalds and Nirulas data. The value
of KMO suggests that degree of common variance is middling and the values of
Bartletts test are indicative that sample inter-correlation matrix did not come
from a population in which inter-correlation matrix is an identity matrix in both
cases.
For both fast food outlets, based on the factor analysis three factors/
components emerged to explain variation in the consumers perception scores.
The details of factor loading and variation explained by different factors are
presented in Tables XII and XIII. For Nirulas, the variation explained by factor
1 (ambience, seating arrangement and hygiene) is 27.003 per cent, by factor 2
(service and food taste) is 22.172 per cent, and by factor 3 (price and variety) is
18.502 per cent. Cumulative variation explained by all the three factors is
67.678 per cent that is not a very high value. For McDonalds the factor 1
consists of price, food taste, and variety, factor 2 consists of service and hygiene
and factor 3 of seating space and ambience. In this case total variation explained
is 65.459 per cent which is at par with Nirulas. Although there are similarities
in three new dimensions of factor analysis but these are not exactly same. It
means the two fast food outlets are having different perception for their service
and food attributes in the eyes of young consumers in India.
30

Advertising and promotional information

Consumers of fast food were asked to express their views relating to
information availability about maintaining hygiene conditions in and around
kitchen, around eating areas, about nutritional charts and its impact on their
visits to fast food outlets. A total of 83 per cent of the consumers are of the view
that fast food outlets must provide information on hygiene conditions. A total of
70 per cent of the consumers pointed out that such information will increase
their frequency of visiting fast food outlets. In addition 68 per cent consumers
want to have nutritional chart of all food items served is to be displayed by fast
food outlets. The most interesting part of the finding is about preference of fast
food versus home cooked food. A total of 81 per cent of the consumers prefer
home cooked food in comparison to fast food outlets food. The major reasons
cited by the consumers are: .
fast food outlets food is heavy for wallet and stomach;
ambience at home is better; .
home food is more nutritious, delicious, tasty, fresh, clean and healthy for
body;
we know what is prepared and how but not sure about fast food outlets;
home food is cooked as per our needs, personal liking;
fast food outlets food is for fun, change, entertainment of the friends and
some time for convenience;
fast food outlets food may be harmful; and . home cooked food has low
fat contents.

Managerial implications
Fast food providers need to focus on the quality and variety of food besides
other service parameters. Study clearly shows that consumers do not visit these
outlets primarily for food but for fun, change and social reasons as they prefer
home food over the fast food. This is an important parameter to focus to have
sustainable growth in the times to come. Further, information about hygiene and
nutrition value of the fast food must also be communicated to the consumers.

31

Thus, in nutshell, there is need to focus on the food contents by the fast food
marketers.

Concluding remarks
Consumer acceptance of food served by fast food outlets is critically important
for the future growth of fast food outlets in any economy. Though the rating of
fast food outlets attributes under study based on mean score is very high but
still consumers visit fast food outlets for fun, change or entertaining their
friends but certainly not as a substitute of home made food. Comparison of
McDonalds and Nirulas indicates a clear cut difference in their mean score of
their attributes and also dimensions identified with factor analysis. Consumers
demand more and more information related to hygiene issues and nutritional
values of the products of fast food outlets. Based on the analysis and results, we
can say that with more and more acceptability of fast food outlets and change in
life style, competition among fast food outlets with respect to quality of food
and customer service will be more prominent in the days to come.

Limitations of the study

This exploratory study has some limitations that however do not liquidate the
purpose of the study. Data for the study are collected from National Capital
Region (NCR) that includes the capital of India with four surrounding cities
well connected with thecapital. Sampling units are primarily of young
unmarried consumers. Further, among the identified fast food providers Wimpy,
Pizza Express and Pizza Corner are not frequently visited by the respondents
and thus do not represent the analysed data.

Notes
1. http://health.allrefer.com/health/fast-foods-info.html
2. www.thefreedictionary.com/fast food
3. www.m-w.com/dictionary/fast-food
4. www.worldwatch.org/pubs/goodstuff/fastfood/
5. www.nirula.com
6. www.mcdonaldsindia.com
7. Urban Indian consumers amongst the top 10 most frequent eaters of fast
food globally www.acnielsen.co.in/newsID 112
8. Survey puts India among top markets for fast food,
www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/ 01/22/stories/2005012201150400.htm

32

QUESTIONNAIRE
1. ARE YOU ADDICTED TO JUNK FOOD?
(a) YES
(b) NO .
2. ARE YOU CONCERNED OF YOUR HEALTH WHILE EATING
ROADSIDE FOOD?
(a)YES
(b) NO
3. DO YOU OFTEN VISIT MC DONALDS, PIZZA HUT, KFC?
(a) YES
(b) NO
4. SHOULD YOUTH STOP EATING JUNK FOOD?
(a) Agree
(b) Disagree
(c) Neither Agree Nor Disagree
5. DO YOU FEEL THT HOMEMADE FOOD IS MUCH BETTER THAN
FOOD SERVED ON ROADSIDE?
(a) YES
(b) NO
6. DO YOU REGULARLY EAT JUNK FOOD?
(a) YES

(b) NO

7. DO EATING JUNK FOOD REGULARLY AFFECT THE HEALTH

AND BEHAVIOUR OF THE PERSON?
(a) YES

(b) NO

33

DATA PROCESSING
1. ARE YOU ADDICTED TO JUNK FOOD?

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Yes

No

2. ARE YOU CONCERNED OF YOUR HEALTH WHILE EATING

ROADSIDE FOOD?

34

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Yes

No

3. DO YOU OFTEN VISIT MC DONALDS, PIZZA HUT, KFC?

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Yes

No

4. SHOULD YOUTH STOP EATING JUNK FOOD?

35

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Agree

Disagree

Neither Agree Nor Disagree

5. DO YOU FEEL THT HOMEMADE FOOD IS MUCH BETTER THAN

FOOD SERVED ON ROADSIDE?
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Yes

No

36

6. DO YOU REGULARLY EAT JUNK FOOD?

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Yes

No

7. DO EATING JUNK FOOD REGULARLY AFFECT THE HEALTH

AND BEHAVIOUR OF THE PERSON?

37

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Yes

No

CONCLUSION

38

Effective nutrition education programs result in behavioral changes. Such

programs include components for addressing factors affecting the behaviors of
the nutrition education targets. Therefore, research on the factors contributing to
dietary behaviors should advance nutrition education. The purpose of this study
was to identify the important factors affecting fast food consumption. Results
indicated that providing alternatives to fast food stores and changing subjective
norms regarding fast food may be key focus points in changing fast food
consumption patterns among middle school students. Future nutrition education
programs would benefit from including these issues regarding fast food
consumption.
This study was limited by its cross-sectional nature. Participants' intention to
use fast food was determined by asking whether they planned to use it within a
month. A prospective study with a start and end point would garner more
accurate information. Further research on fast food consumption should
consider this time issue as well as possible ways to change subjective norms and
provide alternatives to fast food restaurants for meeting friends.
Junk foods have certainly carved up the Third World due to globalisation [31].
It is an integral part of life in the developed and also the developing world, and
coming with it is a massive increase in obesity and associated problems. The
key to eating these junk foods is moderation, occasional consumption and
preferably in small portions. It is not impossible to win war with junk foods
against healthy foods [32]. However, one must beware;entice is so strong that
you will be addicted. It must be remembered that the addiction to junk is great
for business. It is all in our hands to choose junk food or health.
Avoid Junk, Accept Health!
No Junk, Know Health!

REFERENCES
39

 http://wiki.eanswers.com/en/Food_choice?ext=t&cid=5062
file:///C:/Users/admin/Downloads/0deec529b4e168ed2f000000.pdf
http://www.jkimsu.com/jkimsu-vol1no2/jkimsu-vol1no2-RA-1-7-15.pdf

40