eWOM : The effect of online review and food quality on the intention to visit a restaurant / Arnieyantie Abdul Hadi

The rapid development of the food establishment industry witnessed the online reviews for restaurants becoming a significant tools for restaurant owners to increase their sales, image and customers. Thus, this research is conducted to measure the effect of online reviews on intention to visit restaurants. The study was conducted by distributing a self administered questionnaire involving 156 respondents and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. All variables measured was significantly influence the consumer's intention to visit restaurants, especially in terms of positive online reviews (eWOM), negative online reviews (eWOM) and online food quality reviews. Moreover, the results showed a positive relationship between positive online reviews, negative online reviews and food towards consumer intention to visit restaurant. The result also demonstrated that food quality online reviews was least effected on consumer intention to visit restaurant with lowest correlation value. The study confirmed that the online reviews became crutial in improving the quality of sales, image, food and also service of the restaurant

Local Malay snacks and desserts: the hidden gems of Terengganu / Amirul Hakim Zulkifli... [et al.]

With a unique culture and vibrant tourist attractions, Terengganu has become one of the leading tourism destinations in Malaysia. Apart of stunning sceneries, islands and beaches, Terengganu cuisine has also become a tourism product for both local and foreign tourists. Situated along South China Sea, Terengganu is blessed with abundance of fish, seafood and coconut tree which become the main ingredients for most of its cuisines. Resulting from the acculturation of its neighbouring cultures, the cuisine is the melting pot of flavour from Malay and Thai. Nasi Dagang, Nasi Kerabu, Keropok Lekor, Sata, Bekang, Bronok, Qasidah, and Asam Gumpal are the iconic foods that are widely highlighted by the tourism authority. Besides all the prominent local cuisines in Terengganu there are still local cuisines that are hidden from the eyes of the public. Therefore, this paper focuses to explore Terengganu traditional Malay foods that are not typically promoted as tourism product. The study is based on secondary data gathered from journals, articles and tourism manuals. It is found that, there are aplenty other unnoticed foods that are unique to the state. These signature foods are vastly potential as attractive tourism products. This conceptual paper provides scholars and practitioner a great potential of insight view towards food as a unique identity of Terengganu that can be utilized as tourism product. Subsequently, it will lead to a well-planned strategy in order to upsurge the locals’ income and boosting the state’s economy

Factors of job burnout among chefs in Malaysia

Job burnout in the service industry can bring harmful impact compared to nonservice industries. Chef professions are frequently exposed to negative physical and psychological demand, such as tight time constraint within poor physical working environment. This unfavorable condition can be tiring and may develop towards job burnout. Many factors of job burnout have been widely identified by human resource researchers, however with less focused within the food and beverage industry specifically on Malaysian kitchen workers. The objective of this study is to identify the predictors of job burnout by adopting the job demand resources (JD-R) model. This study adopted desk research and systematic review on previous literature regarding job burnout in service industry. This study found that role conflict, job autonomy, physical work environment and job satisfaction are the factors of job burnout. The output of this study may assist managers on identifying the factors of job burnout that may affect their staff performance. Apart from that, the result may also assist managers to develop strategies to combat job burnout in the workplace

Development of expanded snack foods containing pumpkin flour and corn grits using extrusion technology : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

The production of expanded snack foods using vegetable powder as an ingredient in ready-to-eat food is rare. In view of its natural desirable colour, flavour, sweetness and health benefits, pumpkin was chosen as an additive to the traditional corn grits or rice used as the basis of an extrusion expanded snack or breakfast food concept. Pumpkins also have a large range of uses as a potentially valuable food for humans and animals. However, they are an underutilised product. This study was undertaken to demonstrate the potential of pumpkin products as additives in expanded snack food products. Processing the fresh pumpkin into flour dramatically extends the shelf life and makes the ingredient available throughout the year. The flour is more convenient for extrusion as it is stored and handled as a dry powder. Research was conducted to produce and characterise pumpkin flour made by convection oven and freeze drying of a pumpkin fractions such as peel, pulp (rind), flesh and seed. The flour was combined with corn grits in various proportions up to a maximum of 20% w/w. After determining suitable processing conditions and the maximum acceptable concentration of pumpkin flour for an edible product, the effect of process parameters on product quality were determined. Finally the product was optimised using response surface methodology (RSM). The proximate compositions of pumpkin flour from convection oven and freeze drying were as expected identical to commercial pumpkin flour. The carbohydrate content ranged between 69.8 and 89%, protein ranged between 1.3 and 21%, and fat between 0.03 - 0.53%. Pumpkin flour produced by freeze drying revealed L, a and b values higher than in commercial pumpkin flour, indicating that the flour was lighter in colour and appeared more orange than that oven dried. The effect of varying pumpkin flour proportion at two mass flow rates of 7.5kg/hr and 8.5kg/hr revealed that mass flow rate did not have any significant correlation to the extrusion parameters and the final quality of the expanded snack product. However, a high quality final product can be achieved at all mass flow rates with less than 20% pumpkin flour incorporated into the blend. Varying the proportion of pumpkin flour between 5% and 20% in combination with corn grits using screw speeds of 250rpm and 350rpm showed that, increasing the proportion of pumpkin flour to 20% significantly (P0.05) affect the specific mechanical energy (SME) or the physical characteristics of the final product. Hardness seemed to be due to bubble wall stiffness i.e. effectively the thickness and rigidity of the set starchy matrix. Response surface methodology (RSM) was predicted four solutions for optimum conditions which can be achieved at barrel temperature ranging from 165°C to 167°C at a constant feed rate of 10.50kg/hr and pumpkin flour percentage ranged from 16% to 17%. With these conditions, the optimum SME of 0.15 was achieved and this product had a maximum radial expansion of 11.00%, hardness less than 142.0N with a total carotenoid content of 2.07ppm to 2.13ppm. Sensory analysis revealed most consumers preferred expanded snack products containing 5% pumpkin flour and produced by extruding at a barrel temperature of 170°C and mass flow rate of 12.0kg/hr. The panellists indicated that they would buy this product due to its acceptable taste, texture, odour and overall product characteristics. However, the expanded snack with 15% pumpkin flour was found to have highest total carotenoid content (5.78ppm) and protein content (28.8%) after processing and may have been, in nutritional terms, the best product. The slowly digestible starch (SDS) value and carbohydrate content of this product was found at 97.03mg/g and 59.29% respectively. From this work useful information regarding pumpkin flour and its application in extruded expanded snack production was obtained. This work has the potential to diversify the application of pumpkin flour and offer new uses for pumpkin in the food industry