Consumer acceptability of guava leaves incorporated soup premix

The present research aimed to evaluate consumer acceptability of value-added food product called guava soup premix enriched with tender guava leaves. A total of 50 participants, including undergraduate and postgraduate students plus the mess workers from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, were selected at random for the assessment. The sample consisted 30.00 per cent respondents of the age below 20 years and 70.00 per cent of them between the ages of 21 and 30 years. Among them, 20.00 per cent were male and 80.00 per cent were female. The sample also included students (80.00%) and mess workers (20.00%). Consumer opinions were analyzed via the FACT scale, which included nine statements to assess opinion towards the developed product. For the guava leaf-incorporated soup premix, 36.00 per cent of the respondents indicated they would consume it at every opportunity they had, while 22.00 per cent respondents said they would eat it very often. Fourteen per cent individuals reported they liked it and would consume it occasionally or now and then and 10 per cent of them said that they would frequently eat it. Notable percentages of respondents viz., 8.00 per cent noted that they did not like it but would eat it on an occasion, 6.00 per cent told that they would consume it if available or accessible but they would not go out to seek it or would not go out of their way and 4.00 per cent conveyed to eat the product only at a time when no other food alternatives were available. Notably, no respondents expressed that they would eat guava leaf-incorporated soup premix only if forced. These results suggest strong consumer acceptance for guava leaf-based soup premix product, indicating it’s potential for broader usage and application.