Expectations and the Food Industry: The Impact of Color and Appearance - Tapa dura

We purchase an object or enter a scene not for their own sake but for the expectations we have of them. When we purchase an orange we do so in the expectation that it will quench our thirst or that it will taste good, or that it will make us healthy. On the other hand, our orange is so perfect looking (because it has been dosed with insecticide and herbicide) and shiny (because it has been coated with wax) that if we do not wash it thoroughly before eating we will eat it in the expectation that it will poison us. The activity of the moment is pursued not only for duty or immediate pleasure, but also with the dread, excitement, or merely boredom of that which we have a plate of food in front of us, we are lies ahead. This applies whether entering a room, shopping, at work or play, or merely doing the washing up. We are continually experiencing expectations, most of them subconsciously. However, all lead to motivation and state of mind. Joy or disappointment results from the fulfilment or otherwise of prior expectations. In other words, the stimulus provided by the total appearance of an object or scene engenders expectations of the outcome of our involvement with the object or event.

This book tackles expectations and how they arise, expectations associated with strangers involved in the food industry, with the business facade, advertisement and packaging, as well as expectations engendered in store and restaurant and from the food itself. This holistic approach has been taken because total appearance images and expectations are critical in separate and interlinking ways to all aspects of food research, development, production, marketing, sales and preparation, as well as consumption. Above all, they are critical to each individual customer whether they are in the kitchen, store, restaurant or pub. This book seeks to help those in all areas of industry who contribute to the visual stimulus experienced by the customer. These include architects, store designers, and food producers, whether they be banquet chef or manufacturer, as well as those in advertising and packaging or having responsibility for training customer contact staff. It will also serve as a text for students and graduates of food science, marketing in its widest sense, retailing, and those concerned with food and its presentation. Although this book is directed at members of the food industry, the philosophy, approach, and interpretation apply to all industries and service sectors that depend on a person's visual appraisal of an object, scene, or situation.