Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, September 2019, Vol. 10, No.

09  99

The Importance of Menu Variety Experience for

Public Health Sustainability at Higher Education Institution

Sarimah Ismail1*, Normah Kadir1, Arif Kamisan Pusiran2, Irina Safitri Zen3, Aqeel Khan1
1SeniorLecturer, School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Johor Bahru, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia, 2Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Business, Economics and
Accountancy, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, 3Senior Lecturer, Department
of Urban and Regional Planning, Kuliyyah Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic
University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract
The importance of menu variety from the perspective of public health has lacked of discussion in the
literature in comparison to the profit perspective of a foodservice business. This paper reports finding of
a research on the importance of menu variety for the sustainability of public health at higher education
institution (HEI) from students perspective. Direct observation towards food displayed on the buffet counter
of the cafeterias and interview sessions with students were conducted to identify attributes of menu variety
as constructs for a survey research. Complete set of 375 questionnaires were collected among students as
customer of 20 food outlets at 11 cafeterias of the HEI. Validity value of the questionnaire was 0.98, that
analysed by Rasch Development Model. Survey data was analysed using discriptive statistics. Overall mean
value for menu variety attributes was 1.97 and standard devition, 0.656, which at the moderate level. This
study suggested for the cafeteria food providers, customers and the HEI food autorithy to ensure high level
of menu variety is offered to sustain public health of the HEI, customer satisfaction and long tender period
of the cafeterias as a food provider.

Keywords: Menu variety attribute, higher education institution cafeteria, direct observation, sustainability,
Research University.

Introduction of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point and

Among 20 public universities in Malaysia, five of
them have recognized as Research University (RU). The
Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education is targeting to
increase number of international students from 100,000
in year 2019 to 250,000 by year 2025 across the HEIs
to enhance international success and recognition of
academic research and training¹. The increment number
of student intake signs the heavier role of cafeterias at the
HEIs as a place of selling foods and as a body to taking
care of students health. The big challenges are to fulfil
diverse need of the students, to meet the requirement
Corresponding Author**
Sarimah Ismail
School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and
Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Johor
Bahru, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: p-sarima@utm.my
to sutsain quality menu variety for public health. The
mismanagement in food, plates for serving and washing
may cause a severe effect on the public health of HEIs.
Food, service, staff, ambience, price and location
are among customer satisfaction determinants of food
service found from research conducted across the globe.
One of the food attributes that bring the customers to
patronize a restaurant/ cafeteria is menu variety. The
menu variety has been debated in the literature for
decades due to its strong contribution in generating
revenue for the restaurant/cafeteria². However, the
important role of menu variety to public health received
less attention. Since student intakes are increasing by
year (both local and international students), and they
are are worry about their food intake while they are
away from home, therefore, a research was conducted
to identify menu variety offered at the HEI for the
sustainability of public health.
1852  Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, September 2019, Vol. 10, No. 09

Methodology: A preliminary study was conducted
to identify menu variety attributes for survey research
constructs. The study was started with serial direct
observations toward food displayed on buffet counter of
20 food outlets at 11 cafeterias of a RU. The observations
took place at three main meal times of breakfast (from
7.00am to10.00am), lunch (from 11.00am to 3.00pm) and
dinner (from 5.00 to 9.00pm). Data of the observation
were written in the field note. This followed by
interview sessions with customers of the cafeterias that
selected randomly among students of the RU. Interview
questions addressed was assisted by interview protocol.
Saturation of data showed sample size of the interview
was 20 students while the observation took place for
three weeks. Findings of the preliminary study found 12
attributes of menu variety. They were variety in terms
of daily menu theme, menu type (buffet and a’la carte),
international menu, local menu, trendy menu, main
food ingredient, balance nutrition, sensory evaluation
(food feature/ look, taste/ flavour and temperature) and
cooking method. Those attributes were later on been
used as research construct for item development of
survey research instrument of quentionnaire.
All research instrument have been verified by two
senior university lecturers in the field of Food Service
Management. Overall validity value of the questionnaire
were 0.98 (for item validity) and 0.90 (for individual
validity). Complete set of 375 questionnaires were
collected among students as customer cafeterias. Data
of the pilot study was analysed by Rasch Development
Model and assisted by Winstep version 3.72 computer
software. Validity value that more than 0.80 is in the
range of high validity and the research instrument is
suitable to be used for data collecting³.
Result
Among 12 menu variety attributes, three of them
were rated at high level (daily menu themes, various
´buffet` service menu and menu consists of various
nutrients). Seven attributes rated at moderate level
were various menu for a’ la carte, international menu,
local menu, menu with various cooking method, menu
with various main ingredients, menu with various taste/
flavour and menu with various look/ feature. Two
attributes that rated at low level were menu with various
temperature and trendy menu (Table 1).

Table 1 Level of menu variety according to attributes

No. Attributes of Menu Variety Mean Standard Deviation Level of menu variety
1. Various daily menu themes 2.36 0.676 High
2. Various ´buffet` service menu 2.47 0.700 High
3. Various nutrient 2.47 0.498 High
4. Various ‘A la carte’ menu 2.31 0.662 Moderate
5. Various international menus 2.26 0.655 Moderate
6. Various local menus 1.99 0.742 Moderate
7. Various cooking method 1.94 0.618 Moderate
8. Various group of main ingredients 2.30 0.590 Moderate
9. Various taste/ flavour 1.95 0.746 Moderate
10. Various look/ feature 2.29 0.662 Moderate
11. Various temperature 1.60 0.622 Low
12. Various trendy menu 1.60 0.622 Low
Overall Mean 1.97 0.656 Moderate

Discussion and lunch, all cafeterias promote menu variety of

The importance of 12 menu variety attributes toward
public health are discussed according to sub-themes as
below:
(a) Variety of Menu: Realising students having short
period of time during peak meal hours of breakfast
cooked foods to provide freedom for students to
have choice to choose and adopting buffert service
to offer fast service and avoiding long queue.
However, those variety of foods were stereotype
and repeatedly everyday as well as similar between
one food outlet to another. The a’la carte menu only
 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, September 2019, Vol. 10, No. 09  1853
available late in the afternoon for tea break and
dinner. The study also found only small number of
food outlets offer trendy menu. Menu with various
theme ranging from traditional local menu according
to ethnic and culture, different daily theme, a’la carte
menu, international menu, pasta, salad, sandwiches,
bread, fresh fruit, stew, dairy products, soup and
menu for special need like vegetarian with different
group of main ingredients to provide holistic balance
nutrients are available only at a few cafeterias with
very limited choice.
Menu variety was found as a key factor in attracting
and reflecting the need, expectation and satisfaction
of customers ² visiting a cafeteria. It affects
performance of food service industry 4. Through
menu variety students are able to have variety of
nutrient for the body to function correctly and having
choice to choose according to their preference. The
fulfiling customers’ preference and expectation will
make them happy and having possibility for them
to repeat purchase through repeat visit. The repeat
purchase promises increment in profit².
The students of today require lots of healthy menu
variety that consistent with current market trend
to satisfy their taste buds. The new trend of food
however, requires skilled chef to incorporate
quality attributes of a food to produce healthy and
well-balanced meals. This study suggests for the
cafeterias to employ qualified chef and kitchen
staff that equiped with various food knowledge and
skills.
(b) Variety of Main Ingredient: Finding of this study
showed that although menu offered are variety
like having noodles, snack, rice, dessert, salad and
vegetables, but most of them were Malay food
orientation that sinoname with rice, flour, red meat,
fish, chicken and green leafy as well as rhizome-
based vegetabes as main ingredients. They were
cooked with chillie, soya sauce and coconut milk.
These make the foods look red and oily, having hot
and spicy taste.
Those food ingredients are rich with high calorie
nutrients that take long time to digest. Taking
high complex carbohydrate, protein, saturated
fat and cholesterol food items for long term will
lead to obesity, diabetese as well as silent killer
of cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and
hypertention. Research5 claimed people who eat
the same food over and over again are likely to be
less healthy than those who eat a variety of food.
Since 80% of students at the RU of study are local
students, those fattening food will contribute to the
increment of obesity statistics in Malaysia. A study
conducted by 6 also found the similar finding that
university cafeterias have prepared ready cook food
that served at buffet counter but the food choice
focuses on Malay ethnic group.
The best diet should have a little bit of everything
of main group of ingredient to provide balance diet.
The food variety promotes greater bacterial diversity
in the gut to keep body weight. Having variety of
food choice is seen as marketing strategy to attract
customers attention besides awareness that there is
no single food contains all of the essential nutrients
in the optimum amount as the body need to keep
healthy apart from breastmilk for babies. Knowing
this, the cafeteria food providers is suggested to sell
variety menu with alternate different item in each
major groups of food ingredient: fruit, vegetables,
grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein and unsaturated
fat to provide variety and sufficient nutrients as
the body needs. Number of menu that contains of
high complex carbohydrate, protein, saturated fat
and cholesterol should be replaced with menu with
healthier main ingridients like diary products, fruits
and vegetables that consist of high vitamin, minerals
and fiber.
(c) Variety of Food Taste/ flavour: Majority of
students rated food variety sold at the cafeteria at
moderate level. The food taste of spicy, salty, sweet,
soury are consistent with Malay food taste. Since
Malaysia is a multiracial country that consists of
three major races which are Malay, Chinese and
Indian besides as a RU that having big number of
international students, therefore, the cafeteria food
providers is required to aware toward the needs of
various food taste of Chinese and Indian students
as well as international students with various
nationality. Thus, menu variety that fulfill the need
of these students with heterogenous background
should be offered.
The foods sold were also found mixed with
artificial food flavour. This study suggests for the
cafeteria food providers to use natural flavor that
is free from artificial food elements (like artificial
additives, preservatives, food coloring, flavor,
and genetically modified organism etc.) that may
1854  Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, September 2019, Vol. 10, No. 09
harm body health. Natural food that is associated
with freshness, organic and local produced food is
perceived healthier because it is natural from the
perspectives the way the food has been grown, how
the food has been produces and processed as well as
the properties of the final product7.
In food business, the sensory characteristic of food
(the feature/ look, taste/ flavour, aroma and texture)
influences customers choice and making decision
either to buy or not to buy the food8. The sense of
taste drives customers appetite and protect them
from poisons and steer them towards the right food
groups and away from the wrong ones9. A study
conducted by Department of Statistics Malaysia¹
found the effect on taste toward food demand
is very strong and high statistically significant.
Therefore, understanding why students purchase
some foods but not others is the utmost importance
for marketing strategy, advertising, attracting the
students to repeat purchase and for planning of new
menu variety development.
(d) Variety of Food Nutrition: Menus variety offered
by the cafeterias are loaded with food items that
contains of large amount of complex carbohydrate,
protein and fat. Some cafeterias sell fresh fruit and
healthier salad as an option. However, they are less
varied and flavourful. Besides bad eating habit,
the domination of unhealthy food available may
contribute to weight gain after one year of studies of
the students.
Since 95% of student accommodation at the RU
are not allow the students to cook, this means the
students have to choose the unhealthy food until end
of their study period at the university or until end of
business tender of the cafeterias with the university.
Thus, the cafeterias should provide menu variety
for balanced and healthy diet. A balanced, adequate
and variety menu provides nutrients for the body to
function correctly; for the body organs and tissues
works effectively; avoid disease, infection, fatigue
poor performance; and protecting human body
against non communicable diseases especially
obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, some
types of cancer and skeletal conditions. Poor diet
lead to body growth and development problem,
poor academic performance and persist them with
bad eating habit for the entire lives¹¹.
(e) Food Temperature: Understanding the role of
temperature in food manufacturing can help to keep
the food safe to be eaten and prolong shelf life of the
food. However, this study found low rate for serving
food at the right food temperature. This situation
happened might be because of four reasons. First,
many cafetarias displayed dishes that suitable for
lunch early in the morning to fulfill the need of
customers who taking heavy meal for breakfast
(skip lunch meal). The buffet counter that is not
fixed with food warmer system to control dishes
temperature above 60ºC and the dishes has been left
in the room temperature (32ºC) for more than four
hours after been cooked will expose the dishes to
bacterias like Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella
enteritis, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter to grow.
These bacterias grow rapidly and produce heat
resistant toxin in ‘Danger Zone’ (between 4ºC and
60ºC).
Second, low awareness of customers toward the
importance of right food temperature and negative
impact to body health if disobey this guideline.
Third, lacking of knowledge and or bad attitude of
kitchen staff and cafeteria food providers about this
matter until been portrayed into their bad practices.
Fourth, Malaysian food is well known with hot
and spicy taste. Eating the food at unsuitable food
temperature in hot and humid 32°C atmosphere is
not really matter to the customers.
To improve food temperature and keeping the food
safe, food termometer should be used, buffet counter
should be fixed with food warmer to ensure foods
displayed are above 60ºC and both kitchen staff and
cafeteria food providers should be trained about this
matter. Health and safety training play big role in
influencing good kitchen staff practices¹².
(f) Variety of Cooking Method: Different cooking
method gives different impact to food in various
way: taste, digestion, introduce variety in meals,
presentation, texture, aroma, packaging, nutrient,
destroy micro-organism, appetite and increase
consumption¹³. Finding of this study shows the
cafeterias applied unhealthy cooking method
particularly frying (both deep and sghallow frying
cooking methods) to cook majority of food items.
The deep frying cooking method that using cooking
oil provides additional fat to the food and gives
negative impact to body health like obesity and
heart diseases. The negative impact become worse
if the recycle cooking oil is used in other cookings.
 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, September 2019, Vol. 10, No.  1855
Therefore, it is advised for chef of the cafeterias
to apply variety of healthy cooking methods like
steaming, boiling, stewing, pressure cooking,
simmering, poaching, braising, sauteing, baking,
roasting, grilling and broiling for cooking. These
cooking methods are not only cost effective but also
are seen be able to sustain nutritional value of the
food cooked.
Conclusion
Menu variety promotes equity between generating
revenue among cafeteria food providers and serving
healthy food item for the students. Therefore, reliable
paths to detect, identify, quantify and monitor quality
of menu variety are of great interest for sustainbility
life of public health and cafeteria food business at the
RU as well as high reputation as a RU that are not
only excellent in learning and teaching, research and
development, publication but also excellent in providing
cafeterias that offer high quality of menu variety to
students. Suggestions for practical implication to
improve moderate level of cafeteria service in term of
providing menu variety are as follow:
Cafeteria food providers: Practice high intergrity
in selling healthy food with both purposes: profit and
public health, educate all kitchen staff through proper
training on the importance and impacts of menu variety
to public health, customer satisfaction and behavioral
intentions of repeat purchase. This followed by daily
supervision toward staff practices.
University food autorithy: Implement rule and
regulation on quality menu variety at all food outlets;
provide nutrition information, healthy eating tips tailored
to the options on campus; having instrument for quality
menu variety supervision; regular monitoring toward
quality of menu variety at the cafeterias
Students: Increase awareness about their right and
responsibility to get healthy and quality menu variety,
having knowledge about food that they eat, right eating
habit and maintaining healthy diet no matter where they
choose to eat.
Conflict of Interest: NIL
Source of Funding: Self Source
Ethical Clearance: Done by Research Committee
09
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