INFLUENCES ON THE MENU

INFLUENCES ON THE MENU

According to Lillicrap and cousins (2010:97) fashion and food trends are still influencing the menu’s content. Consumers demand is affected by the understanding of:

·         Health and eating
·         Vegetarianism
·         Cultural and religious influences
Such influences have created an emphasis on offering alternatives and also they affected cooking ingredients and methods, with light cuisine and alternatives for non-meat eaters developing again by Lillicrap and cousins (2010:97).

Health and eating
More customers are looking for options which will make them achieve a balanced diet. Hence why consumers are asking specific information on cooking methods used (Lillicrap & cousins, 2010:97). Jones (2002:145) states although customers want healthy foods, they do not always know what is healthy or not, but their concern is more about food safety.

vegetarianism

More influences is reflected by the food and beverage industry in its provision of vegetarian option, as stated by Jones (2002:145). Vegetarianism may come from cultural, religious, ethical considerations (Lillicrap & cousins, 2010:98) so it is important that food are correct.

Vegetarians: semi	Do not eat red meats, other than poultry, all meats diet will include fish and may include dairy produce and other animal products
Vegetarians: lacto-ovo	Do not eat meat, fish, poultry but may eat milk products and eggs
Vegetarians: lacto	Do not eat meat, fish, poultry and eggs but may eat milk products
vegans	Do not eat foods of animal origin. Diet consists of vegetables, vegetables oils, cereals, fruits and seeds
Fruitarians	Excluded are all foods of animal origin together with cereals. Diet may include raw and dried fruit, nuts and olive oil.
	(Lillicrap & cousins, 2010:99)

 Cultural and religious influences

Many believes have different necessities with regards to dishes that may be eaten and these requirements sometimes involve preparation methods and the way food is cooked (Lillicrap & cousins, 2010:98) for example Hindus do not eat beef and rarely pork, Jews only clean animal may be consumed and Sikhs keep to vegetarian diet.

Reference

Jones, P. (2002) Introduction to hospitality operations. 2nd edition. South-western Cengage learning.
Lillicrap, D & Cousins, J. (2010) Food and Beverage service. 8th edition. United Kingdom.