A STUDY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION OF ORGANIC

COOKING OIL IN SUBAM OIL MILL IN SULUR

Dr. V. Subha

Mr. S. Viswanathan

ABSTRACT
The Definition of the word “Organic”, an ecological management production system
that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is
based on the minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore,
maintain and enhance “ecological harmony” (National Standards Board of the US
Department of Agriculture (USDA). Organic Cooking oil production is a self-regulated
industry with government oversight in some countries, distinct from private gardening.
Customers are said to be the foundation of any form of business. So in every business,
the fundamental component of the decisions related to marketing will be customers
satisfaction. It plays a vital role in the market, where the company reaches the expectation of
the Customers, and satisfy them with their products to reach the goal of nourishing their
customer. This study is an attempt to find out the customers satisfaction towards organic
cooking oil in Subam Oil Mill with reference to Sulur area. The survey was done among 50
respondents in Subam Oil Mill with reference to Sulur area by adopting a purposive sampling
technique. To derive the analytical results, statistics method such as simple percentage
analysis, Likert’s Scale analysis & Ranking Analysis. It is finally derived that the customer
satisfaction of organic cooking oil high as it gives natural benefits without adding any kind of
artificial ingredients. Since the extraction of cooking oil is done in an organic manner, the
packing materials used for the oil should be noted. Polythene bags and plastic bottles should
be avoided to support our nature in an organic way.

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INTRODUCTION

There is no common definition of “organic” due to the fact that different countries have
different standard for products to be certified “organic”. In simplest words organic Cooking oil
are minimally processed to maintain the integrity of the organic Cooking oil without artificial
ingredients, preservatives or irradiation.
Organic Cooking oil are obtained by processes friendly to the environment, by cultivation
techniques that consider both the attributes of the final product and the production methods
Why should one buy organic cooking oil?
Organic cooking oils may be healthier because they are produced without the use of
synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, they aim to minimize the use of synthetic inputs and reduce
pollution, compared to non-organic oils and they have a more superior taste.
The difference between non-organic and organic cooking oils is even starker when it comes
to oils extracted from oilseeds. Canola oil, soybean oil, and other such oils are organic when they
are made out of seeds using organic methods of farming. The use of chemical fertilizers,
pesticides, herbicides, etc. is entirely skipped on organic farms. Another important aspect of
organic farms is that the seeds, by default, are not genetically modified. This is not always true in
the case of oilseeds used in the production of non-organic oils. Oils that are made out of
genetically modified seeds, might not suit every human body. Unpleasant side effects such as
allergies have to be considered. Organic oils thus become a much safer alternative as there is zero
involvement of GMO seeds.
How oil is extracted from the seeds also makes a significant difference. As mentioned
earlier, there are two ways of extracting oil. Organic cooking oil is always produced by pressing it
in the expeller machine. No artificial chemical is used in this procedure. Non-organic oils, on the
other hand, have an alternative to the expeller machine. They can be extracted using a chemical
solvent. Hexane is commonly used as one such solvent. However, it must be noted that not all
non-organic oils use solvents.
GMO seeds are also often subjected to the expeller machine for extracting oil. Soya bean,
canola, and sunflower seeds in the market are often genetically modified but are pressed in the
expeller machine. The process of refining oil is the same for both organic and non-organic oils.
The process involves steam injection as well as filters. There is no place for artificial chemicals at
this stage.

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 THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGES OF ORGANIC COOKING OIL INCLUDE

Nutrient-Denser organic Cooking oil: According to a State of Science Review done in 2008,
organic Cooking oil has more nutritional superiority than its non-organic Cooking oil counterparts.

Stronger, More Energetic Body: No pesticides, chemicals, or processed additives bogging down
your system mean a smaller risk of disease, illness, and disorders in yourself. Nothing leaves you
feeling tired and gross like unhealthy junk organic Cooking oil.

It Tastes Better: True, it may not taste as good if you're accustomed to the addictive qualities
of junk organic Cooking oil additives, such as processed sugar and MSG. But after just a short
time of your body experiencing truly healthy organic Cooking oil, you'll be craving it. No,
really, you will. And all the crap will start having a bad after-taste.

Organic Cooking Oil Process

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 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Organic Cooking oil promotes a balance of human, other living organisms and the nature. It
also with rising concern of health issues and organic Cooking oil safety, many consumers have
turned their site to organic Cooking oil. The increased consumers' interest in organic Cooking oil has
been attributed among others to the growing demand for organic Cooking oil free from pesticides and
chemical residues promotes no artificial preservatives and best maintain the originality of organic
Cooking oil. This prevents excess use harmful ingredients and thereby ensures health. This study
attempted to gain knowledge about consumer attitude towards organic Cooking oil product
consumption and to see whether there is any potential this might have for changing their behavior.

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 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Growth in organic Cooking oil markets in India may occur for a number of reasons.
They may be related to changes in consumers lifestyles (promotion of a healthier lifestyle) and the
growth in awareness of consumers regarding organic Cooking oil quality. Also, consumer
awareness of the need for environment protection is increasing. Organic Cooking oil farming is
often considered by consumers as environmental friendly, and this may result in more attention
given by consumers to organic Cooking oil farming.

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 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

 To study the consumer preference and purchasing behavior for various types
of organic Cooking oil.
 To find out the factors influencing the consumers decision making choice for
organic Cooking oil.
 To analysis the level of satisfaction of respondents towards organic Cooking
oil.
 To problem faced by the customers in using organic Cooking oil.

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 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

 The study is used both primary and secondary data. The primary data were
collected from the respondents who are using organic Cooking oil with the help
of interview schedule.
 The secondary data has been collected from various resources such as books,
magazines, journals, articles, newspaper etc..

AREA OF THE STUDY

 Subam Oil Mil, Sulur, Coimbatore district was selected as it is a commercially

vibrant town surrounded by more number of villages and it is the hub of
Salaried and middle income people.

SAMPLE SIZE

 The sample size for the present study was 50 respondents.

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 TOOLS USED FOR ANALYSIS

Simple percentage

It is the process of inspecting, narrowing, transforming, and modelling data from a huge
amount of information or data. The percentage is one of the essential components of data
analysis, which helps find a value from a huge amount of data and information.

FORMULA FOR PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS

PERCENTAGE = Number of respondents

X100
Total number of respondent

Likert’s scale analysis

A Likert scale is a rating scale used to measure opinions, attitudes, or behaviors. It

consists of a statement or a question, followed by a series of five or seven answer statements.
Respondents choose the option that best corresponds with how they feel about the statement
or question.
Because respondents are presented with a range of possible answers, Likert scales are
great for capturing the level of agreement or their feelings regarding the topic in a more
nuanced way. However, Likert scales are prone to response bias, where respondents either
agree or disagree with all the statements due to fatigue or social desirability or have a
tendency toward extreme responding or other demand characteristics.
Likert scales are common in survey research, as well as in fields like marketing,
psychology, or other social sciences.
Rank analysis
In statistics, ranking is the data transformation in which numerical or ordinal values are
replaced by their rank when the data are sorted. For example, the numerical data 3.4, 5.1, 2.6,
7.3 are observed, the ranks of these data items would be 2, 3, 1 and 4 respectively. For
example, the ordinal data hot, cold, warm would be replaced by 3, 1, 2. In these examples, the
ranks are assigned to values in ascending order. (In some other cases, descending ranks are

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used.) Ranks are related to the indexed list of order statistics, which consists of the original
dataset rearranged into ascending order.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Dr. V. Maheswari(2019) , the study entitled “A STUDY ON CONSUMER

PERCEPTION AND SATISFACTION OF ORGANIC COOKING OIL IN
KUMBAKONAM TOWN”. The study examined purified drinking water is essential to
every citizen. To know the level of satisfaction on organic Cooking oil and problem faced
by the respondents in using the organic Cooking oil. She found that majority 69% of the
respondent were satisfied overall performance of the brand. She suggested most of the
respondents have pinpainted to reduce wastage of water in the purification process. She
concluded that large section of public are spending a lot of installation of purifier or buy
purified water for their survival.

Dr.A.Gunasundari et al (2018) , the study entitled “A COMPARATIVE STUDY

OF FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMER PREFERENCE BETWEEN LOCAL
AND BRANDED ORGANIC COOKING OILS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
THIRUVARUR” .The study examined on the perception of consumer and consumer
awareness towards organic edile oils. To analyze the impact of brand preference and find
out factors affects consumer purchase decision.

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 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

The collected data were groped, edited, tabulated in a master table and
analyzed using the following statistical tools.
 Simple percentage analysis
 Likert scale analysis
 Ranking analysis

TABLE SHOWING THE MONTHLY INCOME OF THE

RESPONDENTS

Monthly No of the Percentage

income respondents
Below 20000 18 35%

20001-40000 23 50%

40001-60000 6 12%

Above 60000 3 3%

Total 120 100%

INTERPRETATION
The above table shows that out of 50 respondents, 35% of respondents are
belong to the income group of below Rs20000, 50% of the respondents are Rs.20001-
40000, 12% of the respondents are Rs.40001-60000, and 3% respondents
are above 60000. Majority of the respondents are belongs to the income level of
Rs.20001-40000.

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 TABLE SHOWING THE RANK ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING THE
ORGANIC COOKING OIL

FACTORS 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total MEAN RANK

SCORES
Product (f) 6 5 5 6 21 6 50 3 5
availability
scores 84 65 52 45 102 14 432
Price (f) 0 11 0 7 16 16 50 2.4 6
Scores
0 130 4 48 78 38 298
Nutritious(f) 8 6 20 5 5 6 50 3.8 2

Health benefits 120 70 192 39 22 14 457

Scores
Taste (f) 5 14 9 11 5 5 50 3.7 3
And color
Scores 78 165 84 81 26 13 447
Chemical(f) 14 9 6 6 1 15 50 3.6 4
Free
Scores 198 105 56 42 4 36 441
Quality (f) 11 11 10 15 2 2 50 4.1 1
Scores
162 130 92 102 8 5 502

INTERPRETATION
From the above table shows that rank analysis of factors influencing the organic
Cooking oil ,majority of the respondents said that quality if organic Cooking oil is ranked
as1,next most of the respondents said that nutritious health benefits of organic Cooking
oil is ranked as 2, next most of the respondents said that taste and color of organic
Cooking oil is ranked as3, next most the respondents said that chemical free of organic
Cooking oil is ranked as 4, next most of the respondents said that product availability of
organic Cooking oil is ranked as 5, next most of the respondents said that price of organic
Cooking oil is ranked as 6.

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 TABLE SHOWING THE LEVEL OF SATISFACTION OF PRICE

S.NO FACTORS NO.OF.RESPONDENTS TOTAL

SCORE
Highly 2 20
1 satisfied
2 Satisfied 1 12

3 Neutral 29 210

4 Dissatisfied 17 80

5 Highly 1 3
dissatisfied
6 Total 50 325

Most favourable attitude

= 50*5 = 250 Neutral
attitude = 50*3= 1500
Most unfavourable attitude = 50*1 = 50

INTERPRETATION
Response regarding quantity of organic Cooking oil was less than neutral value.
Therefore according to likerts summated scale, the respondents are dissatisfied with
price of organic Cooking oil.

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 FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS

PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS
 Majority 63% of the respondents are female.
 Most 31% of the respondent are in the age group of 36-50 years
 Majority 59% of the respondents are married.
 Most 20% of the respondents are graduate.
 Most 32% of the respondents are employee.
 Majority 50% of the respondents are belongs to the income groups of above
20000.
 Majority 48% of the respondents are in rural area.
 Most 59% of the respondents have 4 members in their family.
 Most 48% of the respondents are using organic Cooking oil for 3-5 years.
 Most 43% of the respondents are using organic coconut oil.
 Most 45% of the respondents are spent Rs.751-Rs1000 for purchasing organic
Cooking oil.

RANK ANALYSIS
 Majority of the respondents said that quality of organic Cooking oil is ranked as 1
 Next most of the respondents said that nutritious health benefits of organic Cooking
oil is ranked as 2
 Next most of the respondents said that taste and color of organic Cooking oil is
ranked as 3

LIKERT SCALE ANALYSIS

 Response regarding quality of organic Cooking oil was more than neutral value
.therefore according to likerts summated scale, the respondents are satisfied with
organic Cooking oil
 Response regarding taste and color of organic Cooking oil was more than neutral
value therefore according to likerts summated scale, the respondents are highly
satisfied with taste and color of organic Cooking oil

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  Response regarding quantity of organic Cooking oil was less than neutral value.
Therefore according to likerts summated scale, the respondents are dissatisfied with
quantity organic Cooking oil
 Response regarding price of organic Cooking oil was less than neutral value.
Therefore according to likerts summated scale, the respondents are dissatisfied with
price organic Cooking oil

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 SUGGESTIONS
 The rate of organic Cooking oil is high, though it is reasonable .but the
expectation of consumers is that price of organic Cooking oil can be made
competitive with normal terms.
 Organic Cooking oil are not yet popular among consumers hence, steps
should be taken to popularize the organic Cooking oil.
 Number of outlets for organic Cooking oil is very limited . if more of shops
are opened it will be convenient for consumers to buy them.
 The variety aspect of organic Cooking oil is low .therefore the variety of
items should be increased
Apart from the above the government agency should procures organic Cooking oil.
at present there is no buy organic Cooking oil government shop. And there is a
misconception among the public.

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 CONCLUSION
Majority of the respondents were aware of organic Cooking oil, benefits and
problems associated with conventional organic Cooking oil .however, this
awareness was relatively more among educated respondents. But most majority buy
conventional me not used buy organic Cooking oil regularly due to some prominent
reasons like-
1. High price of goods.
2. Lack of information related from where to buy.
3. Lack of availability
4. Risk of getting cheated
Effective marketing structure and necessary support from the governmental
agencies for organic Cooking oil is required .it can also be done through NGOs and
other government agencies since it is safer and healthier organic Cooking oil along
with private sector participation . Improvement in supply chain management and
production planning will solve the issues like irregular supply, limited stocks. It is
the time for government to take effective policy decision in association with
agriculture department to encourage farmers to produce and market organic
Cooking oil.

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 REFERENCE

Dr.V.Maheswari(2019), “A study on consumer perception and satisfaction of ORGANIC

EDIBLE OIL in Kumbakonam town”. Volume-6, Issue 2, March – April 2019, pp: 240–246,
ISSN Print: 2347-3940 and ISSN Online: 2347-3959

Dr.A.Gunasundari,Dr.R.Vanitha,S.Senthilvel,V .Rengarajan,V.Vijayanand,C.Kathirvel Babu

(2018) “A comparative study of factors affecting consumer preference between local and branded
ORGANIC EDIBLE OILs with special reference to Thiruvarur”.Volume-119 No.10 2018,pp:
1591-1602,ISSN Print:1311-8080,ISSN Online:1314-339.

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