EFFECT OF FOOD SAFETY AND FOOD QUALITY ON CUSTOMER CHOICE OF DINING DESTINATIONS IN KENYA.

Abstract

The effect of Food safety (FS) and Food Quality (FQ) on customer’s destination choice (DC) remains controversial. A number of empirical studies conducted in Kenya failed to seek the manner in which consumers themselves perceived FS and FQ in order to choose their destination of choice. Owing to this contradiction, this study was to determine the effects of FS and FQ on customer choice of dining destinations in Kenya. The objectives of the study were; to assess the relationship between food quality and customer choice on the dining destinations in Kenya, to determine the relationship between food safety assurance and customer choice on dining destinations in Kenya, to determine the relationship between food monitoring and surveillance systems and customer choice of dining destinations in Kenya, to assess the moderating effect of top management commitment on the relationship between food safety and quality and customer choice of dining destinations in Kenya and to assess the moderating effect of customer-based factors on the relationship between food safety and quality and customer choice of dining destinations in Kenya. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted in this study where1058 guests were sampled based on 49% average bed occupancy statistics. Additionally, 54 hotel staff (managers and Sous chefs) were purposively selected from 4-star and 5-star hotels in Kenya. Self-administered questionnaires and structured interview schedules were employed to collect data from respondents. Qualitative data collected through interview schedules was analyzed thematically while quantitative data was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The study found out that there was positive significant relationship between FQ, FS and FSM in determining customer’s choice of dining destinations (p-values 0.015, 0.005 and 0.044). The study also found out that there was a moderating effect of top management commitment on the relationship between FQ, FS and choice of customer’s dining destination (p-value = 0.004). While there was a general agreement that top management are committed in affirming food safety and quality, it was also revealed that for every positive improvement in top management commitment, there would be a corresponding positive rate of influence on dining destination choice. The output of the models with and without interaction confirmed that the moderation effect of customer-based factors was found not to be significant but presented itself as an explanatory variable (P=0.25). Although the study presented unique insights into food safety, quality, monitoring as well as surveillance; there were a number of limitations based on the empirical as well as conceptual settings. The study failed to investigate the physical, chemical as well as microbial contaminations that can cause unsafe food. This therefore could be a prime area for future research.