Measuring the Correlation Between Food Freshness and
Customer Satisfaction in School Canteen
INTRODUCTION
A school canteen is a place where food is served and consumed,
offering a variety of snacks and drinks. Schools utilize canteens to meet
the nutritional needs of students, ensuring they have the energy to
complete their daily tasks. The Department of Education is dedicated to
promoting student health and well-being through both the curriculum and
initiatives that encourage physical fitness and healthy eating habits.
Schools are encouraged to implement comprehensive health programs,
including food and nutrition education. The operation of a school canteen
plays a significant role in fostering a love for nutritious food among
students, faculty, and staff. It allows them to access healthy, affordable
meals throughout the school day. In line with Department of
Education(DepEd) Order No. 8 of 2007, canteens should offer a variety of
healthy foods and meals that contribute to both the well-being and
knowledge of students. Currently, DHS faces several challenges regarding
the quality of its canteen services. Many students express dissatisfaction
with the high prices, which they find unaffordable due to limited
allowances. Both students and teachers have also suggested expanding
the canteen space, as it is often crowded. Furthermore, there have been
complaints about the limited variety of food options available. Given these
issues, this study aims to assess the canteen service quality at DHS. The
findings will serve as a valuable feedback mechanism for improving the
canteen services and ensuring a more satisfying experience for the school
community. Notably, no prior research has been conducted on this topic at
DHS. This chapter presents related literature and studies, both foreign and
local, that serve as a foundation for this research. These works address
variables relevant to the present study and provide a frame of reference
for understanding the factors that influence customer satisfaction,
particularly in the food service industry. Customer Satisfaction and Its
Importance Customer satisfaction has emerged as a critical factor for
businesses worldwide. When customers are satisfied with a product or
source.
Statement of the problem
1.Measure the impact of food freshness on student meal preferences.
2.Identify freshness indicators that most influence student satisfaction
3 Examine the impact of perceived freshness on student complaints.
Hypothesis
Ho: There is no Correlation between food
freshness and Costumer sat Here’s a
statement of the problem
Ha: There is a correlation between food freshness
and Costumer satisfaction in School canteen
Scope and delimitation
he study will specifically examine the following factors that influence
employee job satisfaction:
-food quality
-food price
-food freshness
Conceptual Framework
Food Freshness Costumer Satisfaction
Independent
Dependent variable
Graphic Numbers: This is one Conceptual Framework that shows
the relation between Independent Variable and Dependent Variable.
The Independent Variable is the Food freshness as it is presumed
to be the cause
The Dependent Variable refers to the Costumer Satisfaction as it
is affected by the Independent Variable
Definition of terms
School canteen- it is where students get their food
Food-it is the source of strength of a human being
Freshness-it defines if the item is fresh or old
HYPOTHESES
H1: There is no Correlation between food freshness and Costumer
satisfaction in School canteen
H2: There is a correlation between food freshness and Costumer
satisfaction in School canteen
Significance of the study
For Students
Understanding the relationship between food freshness
and customer satisfaction can directly enhance the
dining experience for students. Fresh, appealing meals
are likely to promote healthier eating habits, increase
meal consumption, and improve overall student well-
being. This study can provide insights into student
preferences, leading to more enjoyable and nutritious
options in canteens.
For Teachers
Teachers play a vital role in shaping student health and
academic performance. By highlighting the importance
of food freshness, this study can empower educators to
advocate for improved canteen practices. It can also
serve as a basis for integrating nutrition education into
the curriculum, fostering a holistic approach to student
health.
School Principals
Principals can utilize the findings to make informed
decisions about canteen management and food
procurement. Understanding how food freshness
impacts student satisfaction can lead to better vendor
selection, enhanced meal planning, and strategies to
boost participation in school meal programs. Ultimately,
this can contribute to a more positive school
environment and support the overall mission of
promoting student health.
Future Researchers
This study can serve as a foundational reference for
future research on school nutrition and its impact on
student outcomes. It opens avenues for exploring
various factors influencing customer satisfaction in
educational settings and can inspire longitudinal studies
that assess changes over time. Additionally, it may
prompt investigations into the broader implications of
food quality in other institutional environments, such as
hospitals or corporate cafeterias.
CHAPTER II
Review of Related Literature
A study by Chai et al. (2018) claimed that the service quality dimensions
that have The greatest impact on consumer satisfaction are
responsiveness, empathy, and Assurance. In addition, it can be defined as
the employee’s knowledge, courtesy, and The firm’s and employees’
capacity to install trust and confidence in their customers (Ramya et al.,
2019). On the other hand, Sarsale and Caday (2020) revealed that the
Highest rating of satisfaction at a Philippine State University is assurance.
However, in The University of Cape Coast Campus, Ishmael and Dei (2018)
have suggested that the School administration should pay special
attention to their employees’ responsiveness and assurance and may
provide regular employee training and queue management to Help
increase responsiveness and assurance. Customer satisfaction is derived
from comparing the anticipated benefit and the actual cost of purchasing
(Minguito & Capunan, 2019). Quality and the healthiness of the food and
beverage are major concerns when determining if the customer is
satisfied (D’Souza et al., 2022; Li et al., 2018). Mensah et al. (2021) have
claimed that the important factors determining customer satisfaction are
food quality, menu availability, price, environment, facilities, and layout.
This chapter reviews related literature and studies which serves as frame
of reference for this study. Related literature and studies, foreign and
local, are presented such that some of the present study’s variables have
been tackled.
It becomes also the foremost important focus area for worldwide
companies. If customers are satisfied with the merchandise, they’re going
to repeat purchasing, showing loyalty, and telling goodies to people.
Otherwise, they’re going to move to a different brand or may complain
and express their dislikes to the corporate. It can have long-term impact
on company’s image (Nair, 2013).
Customers are valuable assets for the company. Therefore, their opinion is
crucial and will be explored persistently. The company should specialize in
the voice of the customer to retain the purchasers longer. To know the
customers’ desires, the corporate can build direct interaction with them.
By conducting marketing research, the company can investigate customer
satisfaction levels. Customer satisfaction is vital to enhance customer-
focused products and services. Voice of consumers is often a valuable
input for management in mapping which areas should be prioritized.
There is a big relationship between product quality and customer
satisfaction (Cruz, 2015).
Mauri and Minazzi (2013) highlighted that customer satisfaction is the
result of comparison between customer’s expectations and customer
perceptions. In other words, customer satisfaction is seen as the
deference between excepted quality of service and customers ‘experience
or perceptions after receiving the service.
Ali Nasir et al., (2014), surveyed blend of excellent taste, menu variety,
and nutritional value, the attractiveness of presentation, freshness, and
flavour of food; so that every food outlet fulfil the essential need of the
customer and increase the Visitl retention percentage of the customer in a
future visit.
According to Hodgson et al. (2010), he stated that saving a large array
of goods can easily attract customers. Wide variety may be a sort of
merchandising strategy where a retailer stocks an outsized number of
various products and offers many choices which can become a motivation
for consumers to buy products. They prefer more tasty and trendy food, so
they eat a lot of fast food and instant snacks, which is affected by food
commercials and convenience (The Food and Drug Association, 2007).
According to Xu, Goedegebuure, and Van der Heijden (2007) price is a
value or reward provided in exchange for need satisfaction to
theorganization. Price and perceived consumer want should be
compatible. It is not easy to decide pricing for a product or service
because the core values of the available goods are used to evaluate price
which is crucial for consumer satisfaction because the price is the most
prominent factor to help customer estimate the good or service value.
Food safety must be observed and strictly implemented in schools
where students buy their snacks and lunch during the break time at the
school canteen and street vendors near the school campus. Proper
sanitary requirements must be complied by 5 food establishments to
ensure safety of the students and avoid or prevent cases of food poisoning
and spread of food borne diseases (Sun Star Bacolod News Paper, 2010).
In Malaysia, these higher leaning institutions provide cafeteria which
offers variety of menus and comfortable surroundings where the students
experience a sense of home and where they can engage in leisurely
conversation and interactive activities with their peers (Norhati &
Nurhafisah, 2013). Whereas, Chang, Norazah, and Tam (2014) mentioned
that the university students’ satisfaction on university cafeteria depends
on food quality, price fairness, staff performance and ambience.
Elise Food Service Inc, started by DeVera family. The name Elise came
from the daughterof De Vera family. They had a responsible, loyal,
andmost trusted employee named Elpidio Cruz. Thefamily treated him as
a member of their familybecause of his loyalty and hard work. The family
sawunto him the potentials of a workaholic, kind- hearted, and a good
leader to his fellow co-workers of thecompany. They have reached Lyceum
of the Philippines University (LPU) through bidding in which they have
competed with other companies. Bywinning, they have also reached
Lyceum International Maritime Academy (LIMA) on April 2009. The
Company built a good relation with LPUfor almost five (5) years. At this
time. Elise Food Service Inc. Is currently serving the people togetherwith
their vision and mission: Elise Food Service Inc. Provide quality and
reasonable priced meals that will satisfy the food preferences of our
customers and theirnutritional needs. Our company maintains a
competent staff that will implement the objectives of the company
through courteous and efficient service that will be consistent with
prestige of the institution we serve through high standards of sanitation.
A school in Tugbok, Davao City utilizes a canteen to meet the food and
nutritional needs of its students in order for them satisfy and to have the
energy to accomplish the task that they would do for the day. The
Department of Education is strongly committed to support student’s
health and well-being through its curriculum in schools and range
initiatives that offer opportunities for physically fit individuals who love
eating healthy food. Schools are encouraged to implement comprehensive
health and well-being programs, including food and nutrition education.
The establishment and operation of food services of school canteen is
important in developing love and interest in buying nutritious and healthy
food among students, faculty and the school personnel, making it possible
for them to enjoy nutritious and healthy food at affordable prices during
the school day and made them satisfy about it. The canteen should also
provide the students variety of foods and dishes that enhance their skills
and knowledge (DepEd Order No. 8 of 2007).
CHAPTER III
Methodology
This Chapter presents the Sampling mlayout.Locale of the study,
Respondents of the study research instrument, data collection plan, data
analysis,
Sampling method
Simple Random Sampling: A random sample of students will be selected
from the junior high school population to ensure every student has an
equal chance of being included.
Locale of the study
The study will be conducted Dado High school, Barangay Dado, Alamada,
North Cotabato
Respondents the study
Target Population
Junior high school students
Sample Description
The sample will consist of 150 students selected randomly from the school
population.
Research instrument
The questionnaire will cover aspects such as food quality, taste and flavor,
overall experience, and frequency of use. The responses will be quantified
to determine levels of satisfaction and their correlation with food
freshness.
Data collection plan
This study was conducted during the first semester of S.Y. 2024-2025 in
the Dado High School. The researcher personally asked for permission to
the school head to conduct a study to the respondents of the study. Upon,
approval, the researcher gives those printed questionnaires to the
selected respondents. The researcher has also explain the purpose of the
study to get their commitment and participation in filling out the
questionnaires.
Data Analysis
Measuring the Correlation Between Food Freshness and Customer
Satisfaction in School Canteen
