• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1082-1089
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of food neophobia on restaurant image, customer satisfaction, and loyalty in ethnic restaurants. A self-administered survey for data collection 581 customers who visited an ethnic restaurant in August, 2015. Statistical analyses included descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA and regression analysis for SPSS 21.0. The finding of the study indicated that the differences of food neophobia score in demographic characteristics showed significant differences by age, occupation, dining-out frequency, and source of dining-out information, not by gender. The mean value of food neophilic group was significantly higher than food neophobic group in all items of restaurant image, overall satisfaction and customer loyalty. The regression analysis showed that tangible aspect, price aspect, and food aspect of restaurant image had positive effects on overall satisfaction and customer loyalty however employee service showed different result by groups. The finding of the study offer marketing strategies for ethnic restaurants to induce customer revisit.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.511-519
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• 2008

The purpose is to investigate the factors moderating the relationships between food choice motives such as health concern, weight control and ethical concern, and vegetable intake. Data were collected from adult people(N=290) in Jeonnam Province for finding the correlation of the food choice motives and the moderated variables as food involvement and food neophobia with vegetable intake. Moderated regression analysis was used to analyse the survey data. The results indicates that the moderated variables of food involvement and food neophobia significantly affect vegetable intake. However, the food choice motives of health concern, weight control, ethical concern do not have significant effects on vegetable intake. The findings can help adult people prefer healthy eating.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.122-135
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• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure consumer acceptance of edible insect foods (EIFs) while applying the extended theory of planned behavior (ETPB). Insects as food have attracted interest as potential possible sources of nutrition for the future. This study investigated consumers' perception toward insect food and future purchase behaviors. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A survey was conducted among citizens of Korea. About two thirds of respondents had tried an EIF previously, and the mean value for food neophobia was 3.1 on a 5-point Likert scale. Respondents were divided into 2 groups of those experienced with EIFs and those not and by level of food neophobia. An independent t-test, multiple regression and descriptive analyses were conducted on the data. RESULTS: The primary reason for not eating EIFs was that their insect form induced disgust. Comparisons of ETPB attributes by experience with EIFs showed significant differences between groups for food neophobia, subjective norm, attitude, and behavioral intention. In addition, significant differences were found for subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, attitude, and behavioral intention between 2 neophobia groups. Finally, the results of measuring the relationships between ETPB attributes and behavioral intention showed only subjective norm and attitude affected behavioral intention. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that enhanced subjective norms producing a publicly accepted EIFs environment would help encourage the purchase of EIFs. The results of this study can help the development of EIF products for future food markets.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.175-184
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• 2017

Despite growing interest in Korean foods, South-east Asian consumers' perception and acceptance of Korean foods have not been well elucidated. This study was conducted to understand South-east Asian Muslim consumers' perception and acceptance of Korean foods and the association with their food neophobia level. Ninety-three Muslim consumers (mean ages 25.2, men 35.5%, women 64.5%) from Malaysia (72%), Indonesia (16.1%), and Singapore (11.9%) rated their degree of food neophobia as well as recognition and acceptance of representative Korean menu items. Background data such as duration of stay and Korean food consumption habits were collected. Overall, participants perceived Korean foods positively (4.04 on a 5-point hedonic scale). Most well-recognized Korean foods were gimbap and bulgogi, whereas less-known spicy foods such as ojingoe deopbap were most liked among items that were actually consumed. A neophobic group rated Korean foods less favorably than neutral and neophilic groups (p<0.05). Future studies are required to identify whether or not South-east Asian Muslim consumers' food neophobia is formed under the influence of religious regulations or reflect individual consumers' personal traits.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.100-115
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• 2015

The main purpose of this study is to establish fundamental data for the development of processed food using mealworm after examination of preferences and purchased intention according to two types of cooking methods (saute and oven) and three shapes (original, chapping, and powder) of cooked mealworm. In particular, this study aims to facilitate the establishment of target market strategies about edible insects bringing food neophobia. The results show that males' and older persons' preferences and purchases intention were higher than those of female and younger people. The group having high health involvement and low food neophobia had higher preferences and purchase intentions than the group having low health involvement and high food neophobia. In addition, customers had highest preferences and purchase intention with powdered mealworm regardless of cooking methods and customers' characteristics. These research findings provide food developer with meaningful data for market targeting.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.121-129
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• 2005

Food neophobia, unwillingness to try novel foods, is a personality trait that can influence children's food preferences and consequently their food acceptance and consumption. The purpose of this study was to determine whether children with food neophobia have poor dietary and growth outcomes compared to non-neophobic children. Subjects were 332 primary school children from 6 randomly selected schools in the district of Hulu Selangor, Selangor. Parents and children were interviewed to obtain demographic, socio-economic, food neophobia and dietary intake information. The children were also measured for weights and heights. One-way ANOVA and Chi-square procedures were utilized for statistical data analysis. Children with food neophobia had higher intakes of energy and most nutrients than average and neophilic children. However, only the mean intakes of protein (p < 0.05) , fat (p < 0.05), vitamin A (p < 0.01) and iron (p < 0.01) were significantly higher in neophobic than average or neophilic children. Compared to neophilic and average groups, a higher percentage of neophobic children met 2/3 of the RNIs for energy $(85.2\%)$, protein $(98.4\%)$ and vitamin A $(72.1\%)$. Mean percentage of carbohydrate energy was lowest$(54.8\pm6.6\%)$ while fat energy $(31.8\pm6.2\%)$ was highest among neophobic children. Neophobic group had the lowest percentage of children $(49.2\%)$ with carbohydrate energy > $55\%$ but highest percentage $(50.8\%)$ with fat energy > $30\%$. For the three study groups, the mean number of servings for all food groups, except grain and cereal, did not meet the Food Pyramid recommendations. Neophobic children consumed significantly more numbers of servings from the meat group than average and neophilic groups (p < 0.01). All study groups had relatively low mean dietary diversity scores but neophobic children had the lowest score $(0.67\pm0.73)$ compared to the average $(0.97\pm0.72)$ and neophilic $(1.98\pm0.81)$ groups. Significant difference in mean dietary diversity scores were only observed between neophobic and neophilic children (p<0.05). Higher percentages of neo-phobic children had low weight-for-height and were at-risk of overweight(p < 0.05). Nutrition practitioners need to understand children's food preferences in their efforts to promote healthful diets for children. To improve children's eating behaviors, parents may need the guidance and support from nutritionists and dietitians that are specific to their needs and their child's situation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2016

This study analyzed the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and Korean food perception status of Southeast Asian workers living in South Korea in order to build up basic data to develop a desirable diet program. From our study, we found that FNS was higher in the order of Cambodian, Myanmar, Vietnamese, and Thai workers. Influential demographic factors for FNS were cooking possibility and place of residence. The mean scores of Cambodian workers ($3.46{\pm}0.63$) regarding "positive perception of cooking method, taste & color" about Korean food were the highest among the four countries, followed by Vietnam ($3.38{\pm}0.68$), Myanmar ($3.26{\pm}0.50$), Thailand ($3.09{\pm}0.64$)workers(p<0.01). The mean scores of Myanmar workers regarding perception of "difference in cooking method, smell & texture" and "difference in taste" were the highest among the four countries. FNS had a negative correlation with the factor "positive perception of cooking method, taste & color" regarding Korean food and a positive correlation with the factors "difference in cooking method, smell & texture".

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.429-436
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• 2011

An individual's food-related personal traits play an important role in influencing personal food choice and habits. According to culture, their influence can manifest differently. To ascertain personal traits about food, FNS (food neophobia scale) and FIS (food involvement scale) were employed in recent studies. This study aimed to understand the food culture and food choices of East-South Asians who live or stay in Korea through comparison of FNS and FIS. Eighty Koreans and 233 East-south Asians (Indonesians, Filipinos, Malaysians, Vietnamese, Thai, Singaporeans, and Bangladeshi) completed a questionnaire to measure FNS (10 questions), FIS (12 questions), and sociodemographic conditions (9 questions). ANOVA was conducted to ascertain FNS and FIS between the groups, and regression analysis was carried out to determine which sociodemographic factors had an effect. The items were analyzed to determine the differences according to gender, age, marital status, nationality, religion, occupation, educational background, monthly income, and length of residence in Korea. FNS showed significant differences between the groups with regard to sociodemographic characteristics, except gender, age, and marital status, whereas FIS showed significant differences in gender, nationality, religion, occupation, educational background, monthly income, and length of residence in Korea. The results of the regression analysis suggest that nationality strongly affected FNS and FIS, and FIS was also affected by gender.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.92-107
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate how food-related lifestyle of Chinese customers affect purchase intention for Korean Ramen and to verify the moderator effects of food neophobia and Korean attitude to food safety between them using hierarchical regression analysis suggested by Baron & Kenny. The findings and implications can be summarized as follows. First, while food-explorer or convenience-oriented traits in Chinese customers have significant and positive effects, the health-oriented trait has a negative effect on purchase intention of Chinese customers for Korean Ramen. Second, there is negative moderating effect between the trait of convenience-oriented and purchase intention of Chinese customers for Korean Ramen. Third, there is a positive moderating effect between the trait of food-explorer or convenience-oriented, and purchase intention of Chinese customers for Korean Ramen.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.32-50
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• 2010

The empirical objectives of this study include, firstly, to identify the underlying dimensions in food tourism, secondly, to identify and test the tourists' characteristic variables that explain participation in food tourism, and finally to examine the relationship between food tourism and the characteristic variables. Derived from existing food tourism literature, three underlying dimensions of activities in food tourism are given; (1) dining at restaurants serving local cuisine, (2) purchasing local food products, and (3) dining at high quality restaurants. Four valid conceptual variables were used to test whether there are significant relationships between them and food tourism variables. They are food neophobia, variety-seeking, hedonic consumption, and identity affirmation. Based on the survey responses from 164 tourists visiting Kanghwa-do, Namisum, and Yongjong-do, multi-regression analysis was employed. The findings suggested that there were negative relationships between food neophobia and all other dimensions in food tourism. In addition, variety seeking, identity affirmation, and hedonism have positive influence on the dimensions of food tourism. Therefore, utilizing various culinary cultures, food tourism activities with increasing the availability and branding of indigenous local dishes are strongly advised to the destinations concentrating in the food tourism market.