Acceptability of Spiced Plantain Chips among Visitors in Selected Tourist Centres in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Plantain chips is one of the products obtained from plantain. It is a popular snack among tourists and readily available in most tourist centres in some parts of Africa (such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire). Plantain chips is a local snack and belongs to the category of chips. Chips generally are classified as unhealthy snacks which may contribute to health related problems if consumed in large quantity. This study aimed at assessing the acceptability of spiced plantain chips with onions and dry pepper among tourists in the University of Ibadan Zoological garden and Agodi gardens, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A Pilot study was conducted before the execution of the main research. Seven samples of plantain chips were prepared in which five of the samples was spiced with onions and dry pepper (Ata ijosi) at different inclusion levels (2% and 4%) while two served as positive and negative control. A class of sensory evaluation test (Affective test) was used to assess the organoleptic characteristics of the samples. A panel of twenty people which comprised of lecturers and students of the Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management was set up for the assessment. The result showed that plantain chips samples at 2% inclusion levels of onions and dry pepper were mostly preferred for the pilot study and this was used for the main study. For the positive and negative control samples, the negative control was preferred over the positive control and this served as the control for the main study. Thus, three samples (sample A, B and C) were prepared for the main study in which two samples, A and B were spiced with onions and dry pepper while sample C served as the control. 210 copies of Questionnaire (105 in each tourist centre) and Sensory Evaluation Forms were administered to tourists in both tourists’ centres using Convenience sampling technique. Data collected were subjected to descriptive (frequency and percentages) and inferential statistics (Analysis of variance and Multiple Linear Regression) using the SPSS software. The result of the sensory evaluation test among tourists revealed that the samples were significantly different in their sensory attributes from the control sample. Tourists preferred the spiced samples, A and B to the control sample, C. However, Sample A was mostly preferred with respect to its aroma, flavour, taste and overall acceptability. The result showed that spicing plantain chips with onions and dry pepper, especially onions may increase its consumption among tourists.