ISSN: 2635-2826 | Open Access

Journal of Clinical & Biomedical Research

Breakfast Preferences in Urban India: A Sensory and Consumer Perspective

Author(s): Jyoti D Vora* and Anuradha Pandey Dubey  

Abstract

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The consumption of a good breakfast is considered to kick metabolism and boosts energy levels in the body. In Urban India the socio-cultural situation is in a transit mode where people are not thinking about just having a breakfast but a healthier and well-fortified nutritious breakfast which is preferred. The study of this project is to analyse the type and preferences of breakfast that an Urban Indian family haves owing to the paucity of time, health benefits and many other factors. This study additionally aims at analysing the choices of ready to eat food products over traditional home made food. It highlights the use of branded ready to eat food products like MTR foods, its availability, its marketing standards, public reviews about its variety of food products and some suggestive measures for improving on some of the marketing strategies.

Introduction

“Eat breakfast like a king, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a Pauper” A healthy breakfast replenishes your nutrients to boost your energy levels and alertness which is essential for good health. In India research study reveals that most of them either skips breakfast or have nutritionally inadequate breakfast especially in terms of iron, fibre and other essential nutrients. The urban India is in a transit mode where people have started realizing the importance of not only having breakfast but opting for breakfast fortified with nutrients. Owing to the busy lifestyle and paucity of time the shift from traditional cooking to ready to eat food is increasing in urban areas. This research study aims at highlighting the breakfast types one prefers, the ready to eat brands used by consumers and their reviews on MTR food products available in market.

Rationale of Research
The research study is based on analysing the breakfast habits of urban Indian subjects. It is found that most of the Indian subjects are opting for well-fortified nutritious breakfast which is easy to cook and benefits the health. The importance of health and wellness factor among the consumers is rising day by day. Owing to this alarming interest the research aims to identify the breakfast choices, acceptance of ready to eat food products, its quality and health benefits, and various marketing strategies that consumer expects from ready to eat food product brands.

Objective of the Study
The main objective of the research is to study the breakfast preference in Urban Indian family And find the preference of ready to eat food products over traditional food prepared at home. The study further investigates different MTR food products liked by the Indian consumers and highlight few marketing strategies that would be consumer friendly and benefit the company brand for better sustainability.

Research Methodology
The research methodology used in this project is survey based on online responses and reviews obtained from different families in India. A Self-administered Questionnaire was prepared and the Google form was created to avail responses from different panellists. The Questionnaire comprised of 10 questions based on the type of breakfast one haves, nutrients expected, flavours, consumption of ready to eat foods, MTR brand as their choice, opinions about the brand and improvements expected by the consumers. The responses of families from different parts of India and their breakfast preferences were studied in detail. The questionnaire was designed with a view to find out the most opted breakfast in India and the awareness of ready to eat food products that are available in the Indian market. The study focussed on MTR brand food products and their study on quality, availability, marketing strategies, packaging and ease of using it.

Analysis of Data Obtained
The responses obtained from different consumers through the questionnaire was analysed to understand the breakfast pattern of urban Indian Family and their views on branded ready to eat food product MTR foods was studied in detail. The graphical representation on the responses received was analysed and it can be used as a tool for suggestive marketing strategies that needs to be addressed and require changes in the formulation of food product as per the need of consumers.

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Results and Discussion
The questionnaire based on ready to eat MTR foods and food product was used as an important tool to survey about the usefulness of the product, its availability, quality and its preference in the urban Indian families. The questions were based on the best preference or choice of breakfast that Indian families prefer, what types of nutrients they expect in their breakfast, flavour expectation, novel product design that the consumers expect from the brand, scaling the brand and the suggestive measures for the benefits of consumers and many more. The graphical data clearly provides an idea about the product. 59 responses were received from several states of India on breakfast preference, ready to eat foods and MTR foods and food product. 37.3% consumers liked Poha as the best choice for breakfast, 69.5% desire products with well-balanced nutrients and 44.1 % choose Masala flavour in the breakfast,79.7% people are aware of ready to eat MTR foods and food products,27.8% buy it because of taste quality and brand name,30.2 % consumers totally enjoy the multigrain Dosa by MTR foods, 29.1 % totally like the brand, its taste and ease of preparing it, 37.3 % consumers expect the company to come up with Chinese ready to eat food whereas 29.4% would like Punjabi flavour food products. The survey also reveals that 32.7% consumers have scaled the product in the range of 7-(0-9 scale) and 85.2% would recommend it to others for use. The responses and reviews also highlighted that the MTR food products are not easily available in all shops and the panellists recommend that the company should work on marketing strategies that will make the product easily available to consumers. Moreover the company should engage in novel products with different flavours and widen their ranges of different products [1-8].

Conclusion and Future Objectives
The research study based on survey through self-administered questionnaire provides valuable data about the breakfast preferences in urban India. It has also emphasized on the choice of ready to eat MTR brand food products and its preference over other food products. The outcome of the survey suggests valuable inputs that the brand can work upon to sustain at its best in the market. It is suggestive of improvements in marketing strategies by making the easy availability of products in every locality and shops; moreover the consumers expect the brand to come up with new flavours like Chinese, Thai, Punjabi and masala flavour food products. Hence the research study was concluded on a scientific basis and it was a gainful research endeavour.

References
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