Consumer understanding and use of country-of-origin in food choice

Abstract

Purpose – This study aimed to investigate consumers' understanding of country of origin (CoO) information and its relative importance in the context of their everyday food purchase decisions. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional intercept survey of 402 consumers in two cities in New Zealand was conducted. Respondents were asked to describe what they had considered when selecting a food item in their trolley. This was followed by questions to assess respondents' knowledge of CoO and their use and understanding of common CoO labels. Findings – Price (42 per cent), taste (40 per cent), health (18 per cent), and quality (18 per cent) were the most important factors that respondents mentioned. Only 3.5 per cent of respondents mentioned CoO as one of the factors influencing their decision. Of respondents 61 per cent, when prompted, stated that they knew the CoO of the food product selected. Of these respondents, 90 per cent were correct. Of respondents 62 per cent stated that they look at CoO labels when making food purchase decisions. Yet, only one third of respondents correctly understood the difference between the “Made in” and “Product of” labels. Research limitations/implications – The findings suggest that consumers that do access CoO labels are misinterpreting this information which may form the basis of their assumptions about the source of origin of the brands and food products they routinely purchase. Practical implications – Mandatory CoO labelling policies may add costs and reinforce misconceptions that consumers already hold about the meaning of these labels. Originality/value – This study contributes to understanding of the extent to which consumers are competent in their knowledge and understanding of these informational labels.

Country-of-origin (COO) effects in the promotion of functional ingredients and functional foods

“…Literature on the promotion of functional foods regards functional ingredient familiarity and healthiness perception as central factors affecting the success of this product category (Ares, Giménez, & Gámbaro, 2008;Bech-Larsen & Grunert, 2003;Luckow, Sheehan, Fitzgerald, & Delahunty, 2006). Although COO-effects have previously been examined in relation to food purchase (Chryssochoidis, Krystallis, & Perreas, 2007;Insch & Jackson, 2013;Juric & Worsley, 1998), these have not yet been explored in the context of functional foods and functional ingredients. Managerial literature implies that consumers around the world express strong COO-associations with Japan in relation to Shirota-fortified dairy drinks (Doherty et al, 2012).…”

Segmentation of the buffalo meat consumer market in Belém, Pará, Brazil

“…They are not willing to pay extra for buffalo meat with a certified origin. According to Insch and Jackson (2014), some consumers do not buy what they want for economic reasons. Among the analysed clusters, this group consumes the least buffalo meat (13.7%) and is less predisposed to include this food in meals more often than other groups.…”

“…This group was the least likely to include buffalo meat in meals relative to the other groups. Insch and Jackson (2014) and Miljkovic and Effertz (2010) report that consumers are influenced by factors involving food characteristics, but the context in which they operate or the society to which they belong can also influence their purchase decisions.…”

“…Some consumers seek more affordable products, while others associate price with quality, considering the most expensive products to have the best quality, or vice versa. This type of conflict can be solved through market segmentation (Bernués et al, 2012;Onwezen et al, 2012;Insch and Jackson, 2014). Group IV, Healthy women, consists of 62 people (14% of the sample); they are mostly between the ages of 25 and 45, are married, and have secondary to higher levels of education and household incomes that are three to ten times the minimum wage.…”

Conceptual model to identify factors with influence in Brazilian beef consumption

“…The growing concern regarding the risks inherent to food, usually related to the misuse of chemicals in agriculture, promoted the search for alternative production methods (Aprile et al, 2012). It is noted that beef consumers are concerned and willing to pay more for safer products such as those traced , certified (Elder et al, 2009), or with origin identification (Insch and Jackson, 2014;Realini et al, 2013).…”