Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how nutritionists, principals and parents evaluated the importance and priorities of different selection factors for food materials suppliers in an attempt to suggest how to ensure the best supplier choice, since the selection of the best supplier was mandatory for the successful TQM of school food services. This study especially aims to develop priority alternatives based on relative rather than absolute assignments on selection of suppliers for school food service materials. To apply AHP, the selection factors of a food materials suppliers were grouped into five categories, which included quality, service, reliability, hygiene and price. And the five categories involved 28 elements. As the result, quality was considered most crucial on the whole, followed by service, reliability, hygiene and price; and food labeling in the category of quality evaluated as that of first priority in the totality evaluation elements.

• Keywords: selection of supplier; priority; AHP