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

本研究旨在厘清消费者潜在的食品安全知识及对牛肉消费的潜在态度，进而量化检验食品安全态度对消费者选择牛肉行为的影响。采用协方差结构分析方法对潜在知识进行分析，选择实验和离散选择模型对食品安全和消费者行为进行分析。分析使用的数据是对2004年3月、2005年1月和2005年12月对居住在日本北海道札幌市的约1,000名消费者进行的邮寄问卷的答复。研究结果如下：(1)虽然消费者认同国产牛肉追溯系统对食品安全是有效的，但消费者实际使用该系统的意愿不高。然而，该系统的实施确实增加了消费者对国产牛肉标签的信任。(2)毛毯检测被发现对于安抚日本消费者至关重要。超过90%的受访者对日本牛肉在疯牛病危机后实施的全面检测表示赞赏。(3)消费者的知识包括“疯牛病风险意识”、“食品风险意识”和“疯牛病对策知识”。此外，消费者的态度包括“相信国产食品”、“顺从他人”、“谨慎对待食品”、“相信科学家”、“相信大众媒体”和“相信政府”。(4)相信国产食品安全的消费者更喜欢国产牛肉。(5)对食品安全持谨慎态度的消费者更喜欢更安全的牛肉。(6)当提供有关饲料和药品的信息时，除国产和牛之外，所有牛肉产品的评价都得到了加强。

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.