McCormick Science Institute

Spicing Up Vegetables: Consumer Attitudes and the Impact of Seasoning on Vegetable Consumption in a Cafeteria Setting

Carter W. Phillips, Guy H. Johnson

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MSI Team
June 2026 - A series of experiments were conducted to determine whether the use of such seasonings would increase the acceptability and/or consumption of vegetables in a cafeteria setting. Qualitative data from focus groups were collected to learn why and how consumers utilize spices and herbs as well as vegetables.
The purpose of this research was to understand the potential of spices and herbs to affect the purchase, intake, liking and consumption of vegetables in a commercial cafeteria on the campus of the University of Illinois in Urbana. The approach was to first conduct focus groups among consumers to determine attitudes, self-efficacy, and behaviors related to liking and usage of vegetables and herbs and spices, as well as strategies to increase vegetable intake. Quantitative data were then collected using an on-line questionnaire to assess current spice and herb liking, use frequency, whether such ingredients were used in cooking vegetables, and the belief that spices and herbs could be used when cooking vegetables. Furthermore, controlled sensory experiments were conducted to determine the liking of seasoned vs unseasoned vegetables among 749 panelists. These data informed a series of experiments performed in a commercial cafeteria setting to see whether adding spices and herbs could affect consumer behavior. View Full Text

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