Quality parameters determining the buyer behavior toward purchase of bakery product (cake)

Abstract

Context: Bakery products, especially cake, has evolved from being seen as a tea-time snack to becoming a daily requirement in the typical Indian household. The quality of the ingredients in cake baking has a considerable impact on the finished product and consumers’ intention to purchase. Aims: The aims of the study was to assess the quality parameters of the flour used in baking cake and to determine buyer behavior and preferences for quality criteria in cake. Materials and Methods: The quality parameters of cake flour used in baking were experimentally determined according to IS 1979 guidelines. The characteristics of consumer behavior with regard to purchase of cake were evaluated using a questionnaire. Results: The moisture content of cake flour was 0.2% lower than IS 1979 standards (13%). The key factors in choosing the cake were appearance, tase, and soft texture, scoring the highest (1.4) on the Likert scale. The least score (0.7) was given for nutrient content. Conclusions: There was a significant difference in the purchase of cake by attributes, as the calculated value was higher than the table value.