An Integrated Analysis of Consumers' Attitudes Concerning Food Safety and Beef Choice Behavior

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The purpose of this study was to clarify consumers' latent knowledge of food safety and their latent attitude toward beef consumption and, secondarily, to quantitatively examine the effects of attitudes concerning food safety on consumers' choice behavior of beef. We used covariance structure analysis for the analysis of latent knowledge, and choice experiment and discrete choice modeling for the analysis of food safety and consumer behavior. The data used for the analysis were the responses to a mailed questionnaire that was conducted for about 1,000 consumers living in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan in March 2004, in January 2005, and in December 2005. The following results were obtained :(1)Although consumers agreed that the traceability system of domestic beef is effective for food safety, consumers showed little willingness to actually use the system. However, the implementation of the system did increase in consumers' trust in labeling of domestic beef.(2)Blanket testing was found to be critical in reassuring Japanese consumers. Over ninety percent of respondents appreciated the blanket testing of Japanese beef that was implemented after the BSE crisis.(3)Consumers' knowledge was found to consist of 'awareness of risk of BSE', 'awareness of food risks', and 'knowledge of countermeasures for BSE'. Also, consumers' attitudes consisted of 'belief in domestic food', 'conformity to others', 'cautious attitude toward food', 'belief in scientists', 'belief in mass media', and 'belief in government'.(4)Consumers who believed in the safety of domestic food were found to appreciate domestic beef.(5)Consumers who tended to have cautious attitude toward food safety preferred 'safer' beef.(6)When information concerning feeds and pharmaceuticals were provided, all of the evaluations of beef products were enhanced, except for domestic Wagyu beef.