CHAPTER 1

I. PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

A. Background of the Study

A muffin a day keeps depression away. The origin of muffins appears to be unclear and greatly

depends on who and where the question is asked. The ones consumed in the UK have been traditionally

known as English muffins. However, these differ from the popular muffins that are consumed in the U.S.,

South America and other regions of the world. Muffins have become a very popular alternative to the

breakfast Danish and doughnut. They have gained acceptance as snack items in between meals, as

desserts and even dinner additions.

Squash is a family of plants that comes in several different types. Winter varieties include

butternut, acorn, delicata, pumpkin, hubbard, kabocha and spaghetti squashes. Zucchini and yellow

squash either with straight or crooked necks are considered summer squashes. However, squash may be

confusing to classify.Most kinds of squash are brightly colored like fruit but taste mild or savory like

vegetables. Botanically, It’s a Fruit.

Fruits contain seeds and develop from the flowers of a plant. On the other hand, vegetables are

a plant’s roots, stems or leaves. Not everyone agrees with these botanical definitions, but they’re used

widely to distinguish between fruits and vegetables. All types of squash have seeds and come from the

flowering part of plants. In fact, edible flowers even grow out of squash and are known as squash

blossoms. Therefore, squash is considered a fruit. Squash isn’t the only plant that gets confused for a

vegetable. Other fruits frequently called veggies include tomatoes, eggplants, avocados and cucumbers.
 Muffins are sweet baked products highly appreciated by consumers because of their soft texture

and characteristic taste. Muffins are the most widely produced bakery products with high consumer

demand. However, there is a growing trend in such products with increased nutritional value since the

health-conscious consumers demand high-quality and low-calorie products that have reduced fat and

sugar content. Sharlyn melon peels and watermelon rinds were evaluated as fiber-rich food by-products

to be used in cake formulations to enhance the fiber content while reducing the oil content. When

wheat flour or oil in the cake formulation were substituted with sharlyn melon peel or watermelon rind

flours, the resultant cakes were enhanced in terms of the volume, specific volume and lipid oxidation,

while staling and free fatty acid formation during storage has been retarded (Al-Sayed & Ahmed, 2013) .

Soluble fiber is a material derived from plant sources that can be added in baking applications to

enhance a final product’s properties. Squash is an especially good source of soluble fiber, the type that

dissolves in water to form a viscous, or gel-like, substance. Its high viscosity helps slow the rate at which

digested food leaves your stomach, a quality that contributes to long-term satiety and helps keep blood

sugar levels in check. Soluble fiber is also beneficial in normalizing and maintaining healthy cholesterol

levels. Squash also contains appreciable amounts of insoluble fiber, the kind that promotes efficient

digestion and bowel regularity. (Meg Campbell,2018)

The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in squash provide several health benefits. The

antioxidants in squash can play an important role in reducing oxidative stress. In turn, this may help with

cancer prevention. The vitamin C and beta-carotene found in squash may help to slow the progression

of macular degeneration and reduce the chances of related vision loss. Foods rich in vitamin C can also

help prevent cataracts. Several squash varieties are rich in vitamin B6. People with vitamin B6 deficiency

may be at a higher risk of developing mental health concerns such as depression. Moreover, s quash is

also high in fiber, which aids in digestion. (https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-squash)

 The study was conducted to determine the acceptability of squash muffin that will satisfy

Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management Students in La Patria College. In addition, the product

also physically help the students as it provides health benefits from the fruit of Squash. Furthermore,

the researchers are also interested in performing this study for a specific alternative that has the ability

to attract costumers based on their tastes and preferences.

iii. Statement of the Problem

The study aimed to determine the acceptability of squash (genus cucurbita) in muffin production

to the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management (BSHM) students in La Patria College of Santiago

City.

Specifically, the researchers sought answers to the following questions:

1. How may the profile of BSHM students be described in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 gender;

2. What is the acceptability of the squash genus cucurbita muffin in terms of the following:

2.1 Appearance or image

2.2 Taste

2.3 Texture

3. What is the overall impression of the respondents on the new innovative product?

4. What suggestions do the respondents offer to further improve the product?

iv. Research Hypothesis

v. Significance of the Study

The study gives the consumer a product that is healthy but with the same quality as other muffins sold

in the market.

This section provides a brief description of the various significance of the study given.

To the Consumer. The consumer would learn and realize that muffin that made of squash is healthier

than other, they do not have always eat pastry that has too much calories which is unhealthy because

there are many alternative nutritious foods that can be produced with vegetables.

To the Community. This study would be a great help to the community to realize that prioritizing the

health of the residents is more important.

To the Farmers. The increase of demand for Squash, the local farmers would be encouraged to plant

and produce more as their additional sources of income.

To the Entrepreneurs. This study would also help aspiring entrepreneurs to consider introducing a

product to the market that prioritizing its consumer health.

To the Researchers. The researchers would gain new skills and knowledge to produce a new product.

To Future Researchers. This study would be of great help for future researchers to produce new

products which is good for the health of the people and help replaced their unhealthy eating habits.

vi. Scope and Delimitation

The study focused on the acceptability of Squash genus cucurbita in muffin production to the

Bachelor of Science and Hospitality Management (BSHM) students in La Patria College, Santiago City. It

considered the personal information of the consumers such as age and gender to serve as the profile of
the respondents, and their perspective on whether the product is acceptable to be sold in the locality.

The Acceptability of Squash muffin also considered the health, taste and preferences of the consumers.

Definition of Terms

In order to better understand the study, the following definitions of terms are used:

Acceptability. The consumers support and willingness to buy the new product.

Consumer. The buyer of the new product.

Fruit.

Muffin. a quick bread made of squash, batter containing egg and baked in a pan having cuplike molds.

Squash (Genus Cucurbita). genus of flowering plants in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), many of

which are widely cultivated as vegetables and for livestock feed. Squashes are native to the New World,

where they were cultivated by indigenous peoples before European settlement. The fruit of edible

species is usually served as a cooked vegetable, and the seeds and blossoms may also be cooked and

eaten.

Students. To determine the acceptance that the new product meets the customer’s expectations and

preferences through tasting and surveys.

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the relevant literature and studies that the researcher considered in

strengthening the claim and importance of the present study.

Defining Muffins

According to (Pondan.com) Muffins are small, round breads with a sweet taste and best served

warm. The word muffin comes from the word ‘moufflet’ which is French. The word is often used for

bread and other soft foods that are baked. However, the origin of the muffins is not from France.

Muffins are actually British and American specialties. One interesting fact about muffins is that there are

two types of muffins: British-style muffins and American-style muffins. Both types of muffins vary in

terms of taste and history. British muffins have a flat shape and a hollow inside while American muffins

are more like bread cooked in a muffin pan. Muffins pan are needed because muffins are made of batter

not dough. Until the end of the 18th century, the batter used chemical yeast, namely pearlash which

produced carbon dioxide in the batter. After that, baking powder is used to develop the dough, until

now.

Muffins are ready-to-eat snack foods largely consumed by children. They are normally made

with wheat flour. They are similar to cupcakes, although they are usually less sweet and lack icing.

Muffins are often eaten for breakfast; alternatively they may be served for tea or at other meals

(Deeptanshu et al.,2012). Moreover, Muffins may be varied by adding fruits, nuts, herbs, cheese,

chopped meats or spices to the batter (Sudha et al., 2007) reported that bakery products are varied by
addition of value added ingredients. One such recent trend is to increase the fibre content in food

products to overcome health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, and colon cancer, among others.

Attempts have been made to increase the fibre intake of the diet by inclusion of fibre sources in high

consumption foods, particularly bakery products.

Other baked goods benefit from the addition of both an insoluble fiber with great water

absorption properties and a soluble fiber that has a high viscosity. This helps improve the baked item’s

mouthfeel.

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Squash is one of the fruit vegetables that grows abundantly in the locality and that there are

times of oversupply, thus these are only used as feeds to animals or just go to waste. Squash is a

member of the curcubita family that has variety of textures, sizes, shapes and range in flavour. It is

considered to be very rich in nutrients needed by our body particularly beta-carotene. It is a good source

of Vitamin A and C. It also contains calcium and iron and it has very low calories. (De Leon, 2001).With

these statements, the researcher conducted a study on the formulation of squash products such as

cookies, tarts, butterscotch and “puto”. It also determined the shelf life or the keeping quality of the

products. The standard recipes of cookies, tarts, butterscotch and “puto” were used as the basis for the

formulation of the experimental samples. There were three (3) samples of formula or recipe prepared

using different amount of squash for each product. These were prepared and coded properly for

identification purposes during the evaluation process. The products were evaluated using a score card of

sensory evaluation by panel of evaluators. The score card of sensory evaluation was used to determine

the best formula in terms of taste, color, aroma, texture and appearance using a Nine-Point Hedonic

Scale. Frequency counts, percentages and average weighted mean were used to treat the data gathered.

The squash food products as a result of this study were found out to be very liked by the panel of
evaluators in terms of taste, color, aroma and texture and stable for a week even without the addition

of preservatives.

According to Ramono Barro et al. (2016) aimed to ascertain the sensory acceptability of squash

(Cucurbita Maxima) of varied quantities in baking cake as to appearance, taste, color, texture and

general acceptability. A panel of 20 evaluators, purposely picked, from the School of Hotel and

Restaurant Services Technology of the West Visayas State University – Janiuay Campus, were utilized as

respondents. Formulated in the study were four treatments– three of which used squash at various

quantities while as the control variable, one treatment, which contained no squash at all, was used. A

modified sensory evaluation score sheet anchored on Five-Point Hedonic Scale was used by the

respondents to assess the finished products. Means, ANOVA and Scheffe Test were utilized as the

statistical tools. As a whole, results disclosed that baked cakes with no grated squash and 120 grams

grated squash were moderately liked by the respondents while those baked cakes with 240 grams

grated squash and 380 grams grated squash were liked very much by the respondents. There were

significant differences in the level of acceptability of the different treatments as to appearance, taste,

color, texture as well as general acceptability.