Fast Food Consumption

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

Based on previous studies, there are lacks of studies regarding on fast food consumption locally and there are limited information on this study. Most of the studies regarding on fast food were studied at well-developed foreign countries. In addition, there are lack of fast food research specifically consider the attribute of the consumer preference and consumption pattern. For example, Law, Hui, and Zhao (2004) showed that staff attitude, food quality and variety and environment significantly effect customer satisfaction in fast food outlets. Pettijohn, Pettijohn, and Luke (1997) found that quality, cleanliness and value to be three most important attributes in fast food restaurants, while atmosphere and menu variety were relatively unimportant. When consumer considered the convenience and prices of an eating-place, the utilitarian value (task-specific and economical aspects of products and services) of eating out plays an important role in restaurant evaluation and selection (Johns & Pine, 2002; Park, 2004). However, these researches do not specifically consider the attributes of consumers who show preference for fast food products such as importance of price of fast food, consumers concerns on health and diseases and child’s preference on fast food meals and outlets.

2.0 Fast Food

Fast Food is food that can be ready in a short period of time or ready-to-eat cooked food and food that can be taken away or consumed informally (Easaw-John and Tan 2007 ; Tee 2007). Common example of fast food is western franchised fast food like fried chicken, burger, hotdog, pizza and many more. However according to many expert such as the president of Nutrition Society of Malaysia, local delicacies such as fried noodles or rice, curry noodles, chicken rice, nasi lemak and hawker’s and mamak’s food consist the basic characteristic and similar nutritional value to fast food (Tee 2007). Children as low as one year old are seen to be frequent on...