Effect of familiarity, brand loyalty and food neophobicity on food acceptance: A case study of instant noodles with consumers in Seoul, Beijing, and Shanghai

This study investigated the factors influencing the liking and disliking of regular and spicy Jjajang instant noodles among consumers in Seoul (South Korea), Beijing (China), and Shanghai (China). The research examined the roles of cultural background, regional taste preferences, brand loyalty, and food neophobia. Four regular Jjajang instant noodles (two Korean and two Chinese brands) and two spicy Korean Jjajang noodles were tasted and evaluated by 312 consumers (Seoul = 106, Beijing = 105, Shanghai = 101) in blind condition using the 9-point hedonic scale and the Check-All-That-Apply method. The participants in Shanghai included both general instant noodle consumers and loyal consumers of a specific instant noodle brand. Additional data, including flavor familiarity and individual's food neophobicity, were collected. Results showed a positive relationship between flavor familiarity and consumer acceptance, with significant regional variations. Flavor familiarity affected Seoul consumers significantly and preferred products that were produced by Korean companies. Beijing and Shanghai general consumers showed similar liking patterns, preferring one Chinese and one Korean products over the others. Loyal consumers of a specific brand in Shanghai preferred the product of the corresponding brand to others, even under blind conditions. Spicy samples were generally disliked due to excessive spiciness. Food neophobia influenced consumer acceptance, with consumers in some regions, such as Shanghai, showing greater openness to novel flavors. This study reveals the critical role of cultural background and flavor familiarity in shaping consumer acceptance of instant noodles with Jjajang flavor among Chinese and Korean consumers.