Examination into Favorable Taste of College Students on Food Colors

식품색에 대한 대학생의 기호도에 관한 조사연구

This study was conducted to examine the favorable taste of food color for one month of November 1991 With 200 college students consisting 100 male and 100 female students. The color to examine the favorable food was based on Munsell color standard of ten colors such as F. Birren seven colors (red, orange, yellow, yellowish green, green, blue and violet), brown, pink and black. And then, the data of this study was analysed by using frequency(%), mean values, standard deviation, t-test, Chi-square, Spearman correction with SAS Package on the basis of 100% collection and reliable coefficient alpha= .775. The result of this study is summarized as follows. 1. It was shown that the male college students (59%) showed remarkable interest in the food color higher than that of female college students (92%), and that 85% of male students and 97% of female students considered that the food color has an effect on appetite. In addition, the food name having an effect of the food color on appetite appeared in such order as carrot (13.0%), apple (10.9%), spinach (7.0%), cucumber (6.0%) and red pepper (5.6%). The important factor in choosing the favorable food was the taste for both male and female college students, while the male and female students considered the food color as the 4th, respectively, and the 3rd important factor in choosing the favorable food. 2. The favorable food color appeared in order such as orange, red, yellow, yellowish green, green, blue, violet, pink, black and brown colors for the male college students, and in order such as red, orange, yellow, green, yellowish green, brown, violet, black, pink and blue. Also, there was difference between the male and female college students in such colors as brown, yellowish green, blue and pink. It was also shown that there was no relation between the male and female college students in examining the order of favorable food colors and general colors when selecting null hypothesis (ASE: .405). The food name associated with the color was apple for red color, orange for orange color, coffee for brown color, banana for yellow color, lettuce for yellowish green color, spinach for green color, mackerel for blue color, eggplant for violet color, sausage for pink color and bean for black color 3. The favorable color combination of both male and female college students showed red with green, orange with yellow, yellow with green, green with yellow, pink with violet and black with black. In addition, the favorable combination of the male college students indicated brown with black, yellowish green with orange, blue with red and violet with yellow while the female college students did brown with yellow, yellowish green with green, blue with yellow and violet with pink. The favorable combination color showing difference between the male and female college students included orange, brown, violet, pink and black colors. 4. The relation between the food color and terms of favorable taste showed that “light and mild color” is yellow, that “untasty color” is black, that “sourish and puckery color” is orange, that “bitter color” is violet, that “hot color” is red, and that “fresh color” is green which were answered by both male and female college students. However, the male and female college students considered yellow, respectively, and orange as “tasty color”, and black and yellow, respectively, as “sweet color”. Then, the taste term showing difference between male and female college students included “light”, “mild”, “sourish”, “tasty” and “sweet”. Based on the above result of this study, it is apparent that there is a close relation between the food color and appetite while being difference between the general color and taste. In addition to this fact, there is also some differences between male and female college students in the taste of food color.