Analysis of consumer demand for traceable pork in China based on a real choice experiment

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reveal the actual consumer demand for traceable pork by investigating consumer preferences for pork with combined levels of traceability information based on differences in individual consumer preferences, in order to support the government in decision making regarding the gradual construction of safe food markets. Design/methodology/approach – Combinations of four types of traceability information, including farming, slaughter and processing, distribution and sales, and government certification, with price were randomly designed. To identify consumer preferences for these attribute combinations of traceable pork, 215 consumers in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province were investigated using a real choice experiment and the mixed logit model. Findings – Significant heterogeneity was observed in consumer preferences for traceable pork. The information of farming, slaughter and processing, distribution and marketing, and government certification could significantly improve consumer utility. Moreover, consumers had the highest preference for government certification information. Originality/value – Although numerous studies have been performed on consumer preferences for food safety attributes using a real choice experiment, almost none of them focus on Chinese consumers. Therefore, this study is an attempt to fill this gap. The conclusions of this study can serve as a reference for the Chinese government in developing safe food consumption policies. Although Chinese consumers have cried out for improvement of pork safety, they have different preferences for traceability information; thus, the government must promote traceable food step-by-step, using consumer preferences as a starting point.

Chinese consumer preferences for fresh produce: Interaction between food safety labels and brands

“…Olesen, Alfnes, Røra, and Kolstad () used a similar method and demonstrated that consumers were willing to pay a premium for organic and animal welfare‐labeled salmon. A few others followed similar view of research (Alfnes, Guttormsen, Steine, & Kolstad, ; Q. Chen, Anders, & An, ; Ginon, Chabanet, Combris, & Issanchou, ; Gracia, ; Moser, Raffaelli, & Notaro, ; Volinsky, Adamowicz, Veeman, & Srivastava, ; Wu, Wang, & Zhu, ).…”

“…The design of our experiments followed that of Wu et al, () with some minor modifications. Before the experiment, 15 boxes, corresponding to the 15 choice sets in the questionnaire, were placed on a table.…”

Consumer preference for infant milk‐based formula with select food safety information attributes: Evidence from a choice experiment in China

“…Through a reliable and continuous security information flow on the supply chain, food traceability information could ensure the traceability of food, in order to monitor food production process and flow direction to identify the source of problems and recall through traceability (Regattieri, 2007). Wu, Wang, and Zhu (2015a) investigated Chinese consumer WTP for traceability information, and their results indicated that quality certification was the most important characteristic, followed by appearance and traceability information. Ortega, Wang, Wu, and Olynk (2011) reported that Chinese consumers were willing to pay premium for government-certified traceable food.…”

“…Therefore, the traceability information included in the IMF traceability system must be scientifically defined based on the actual IMF safety risks in China (Wu et al, 2015a). Therefore, the traceability information included in the IMF traceability system must be scientifically defined based on the actual IMF safety risks in China (Wu et al, 2015a).…”

“…In China, because traceable IMF is not yet universal and has different production standards, what should be included in traceability information is controversial. Therefore, the traceability information included in the IMF traceability system must be scientifically defined based on the actual IMF safety risks in China (Wu et al, 2015a). Analysis of the entire supply chain of Chinese IMF products reveals that most safety risks occur in three stages, that is, milk producing, processing, and IMF marketing (Yin et al, 2017b).…”