Consumers' preferences for beef in the Spanish region of Extremadura: a study using conjoint analysis

The study of consumers' preferences is of great interest in the beef sector, where the BSE crisis generated deep changes in the basic conditions of demand for meat and in the behaviour of consumers. Previous qualitative research showed that ‘price’, ‘origin’, ‘production system’ and ‘labelling’ were the main attributes affecting preferences for beef in Extremadura (SW Spain). The data were obtained by a survey carried out between February and April 2002 with a sample of 575 regular consumers of beef. Conjoint Analysis has been used to estimate the relative importance of those attributes and to determine the existence of consumer segments with similar preference profiles. Results show that the origin of the product is the most important attribute for the choice of beef, followed by quality labelling, production system and price. Three groups of consumers were identified through cluster analysis, according to their preferences for beef. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Measuring consumer resistance to a new food technology: A choice experiment in meat packaging

The success of new food technologies hinges on consumers’ behavioral responses to the innovation. New packaging technologies associated with improved quality and safety have been introduced but it is unclear if they will be successful. The market success of food innovations depends critically on consumers’ perceptions of and response to the technologies. Using non-hypothetical consumer choice experiments and the food technology neophobia scale, this study examines consumer perceptions and estimates willingness-to-pay (WTP) for vacuum packaging of fresh beef under different information treatments. The findings suggest that information about the positive and potential negative properties of vacuum packaging play an important role in shaping consumers’ attitudes towards vacuum packaging and WTP for vacuum-packaged beef steaks. Results for participants FTNS scores are significantly correlated with their stated food safety perceptions, indicating that risk perceptions together with food safety concerns are major determinants of consumer resistance to food technologies. The results demonstrate the importance of consumer information and education about new food technologies in light of underlying resistance factors to avoid innovation failure in the marketplace.     

A field experiment to design healthier foods: Consumer valuation of butter production processes

Improving the nutritional quality of butter may require altering conventional production processes. This study investigates potential trade-offs between consumer preferences for more conventional production processes, and better nutritional quality. We use incentive-compatible experimental auctions to elicit the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for different butters of eighty-six French consumers. We compare WTP for eleven butters and butter-substitutes with various processes and nutritional characteristics, in two successive information conditions 1 – Process, 2 – Process + Nutrition information). The results show that, in the presence of information about process characteristics, consumers value conventional over innovative processes. Additional information about nutritional properties changes the value of products, increasing the value of those with good nutritional content and decreasing that of less beneficial products. However, product differentiation on the basis of nutritional criteria reduces consumers’ WTP for the entire range of products, indicating the existence of a trade-off in favor of their preferences for process characteristics.     

Spanish,French and British consumers' acceptability of Uruguayan beef,and consumers' beef choice associated with country of origin,finishing diet and meat price

The effect of country of origin (local, Switzerland, Argentina, Uruguay), finishing diet (grass, grass plus concentrate, concentrate), and price (low, medium, high) on consumer's beef choice and segmentation was evaluated in Spain, France and United Kingdom. Sensory acceptability of Uruguayan beef from different production systems was also evaluated and contrasted with consumers' beef choices. Origin was the most important characteristic for the choice of beef with preference for meat produced locally. The second most important factor was animal feed followed by price with preference for beef from grass-fed animals and lowest price. The least preferred product was beef from Uruguay, concentrate-fed animals and highest price. Sensory data showed higher acceptability scores for Uruguayan beef from grass-fed animals with or without concentrate supplementation than animals fed concentrate only. Consumer segments with distinct preferences were identified. Foreign country promotion seems to be fundamental for marketing beef in Europe, as well as the development of different marketing strategies to satisfy each consumer segment.     

Acceptability and functional properties of restructured roast from frozen pre-rigor injected beef

Restructured beef roasts, made to a standardized formulation, were prepared using the following types of meat that had been stored at - 18 °C for 5 or 10 weeks: grass-fed bull beef pre-rigor injected with a salt/phosphate brine; uninjected grass-fed bull beef; uninjected grain-fed beef; a 50:50 blend of pre-rigor injected grass-fed bull beef and grain-fed beef; and a 50:50 blend of uninjected grass-fed bull beef and grain-fed beef. After frozen storage, pre-rigor injected beef had a higher (p < 0.05) ultimate pH than uninjected beef . Grain-fed beef had the lowest ultimate pH. Roasts made from pre-rigor injected beef were redder (higher Hunter a(?) values) than roasts made with uninjected beef (p < 0.05). Roasts made from grain-fed beef were lighter and looked more cooked (higher L(?) and lower a(?) values respectively) than those made with grass-fed beef. Extending frozen storage to 10 weeks decreased the cook yield (p < 0.05), peak force (p < 0.001) and extensibility (p < 0.05). Consumer panellists preferred (p < 0.05) roasts made from pre-rigor injected beef for tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability compared with roasts made from uninjected beef.     

Discrete choice experiments in the analysis of consumers’ preferences for finfish products: A systematic literature review

Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) have become an important tool for assessing the preferences of consumers for finfish seafood products. This investigation presents a systematic literature review of studies performed in the last 20 years (2000–2019) that use DCEs to analyse consumers’ preferences for finfish products, with the purpose to identify the main insights of consumer behaviour towards these products, the most used attributes for this type of experiments and to discuss and compare some willingness to pay estimations. We found that origin was the most used attribute for this kind of experiments, while other important factors were the harvest method, a specific certification label and the species or products considered. The WTP estimates evidenced that consumers are willing to pay premiums for domestic products, while similarly, wild products were preferred over farmed products. Also, there were higher WTP estimates for certified products, in which specific certification labels were better options rather than just claiming that the product was certified or not. All claims and labels related to sustainability, nutritional, health and safety information provided premiums that consumers were willing to pay, however, the importance differed depending on the type of label or claim, the country and species. Future research should consider the influence of being or not the main purchaser in the household, as it might affect the WTP values. Also, given the importance, future research extensions using DCEs are needed on the Chinese and Asian finfish market.     

The impact of information on taste ranking and cultivation method on rice types that protect endangered birds in Japan: Non-hypothetical choice experiment with tasting

We investigate consumers’ reactions to information on rice types produced using a cultivation method that protects the crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), a symbol of the endangered birds of Japan. We employ a non-hypothetical choice experiment with real monetary incentives, in which participants taste three types of rice—Niigata rice, Sado rice, and Sado-Ibis certified rice (Ibis rice)—and choose one to take home. The participants make decisions twice in each choice set, once before and once after tasting. Three information treatments are used: information about taste ranking from chefs and consumers, cultivation method, and no-information. Comparing the expected and actual willingness to pay (WTP) for Ibis rice, only the cultivation method information increases the WTP, which triples. The WTP in the taste ranking information treatment becomes lower among the participants who refer to chefs, but there is no significant difference in preferences between the expected and actual stages among all participants. For Sado rice, the WTP increases when we provide no-information or information on the cultivation method. In both cases, the WTP changes from negative to positive relative to Niigata rice; however, this WTP is less than that for Ibis rice. These results imply that consumers are more sensitive to information of process and effort for a cultivation method that protects endangered species than to the information about taste ranking.     

Consumers’ willingness to pay for beef products derived from RNA interference technology

This study estimates, for the first time in the meat sector, consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for genetically modified foods produced using RNA interference (RNAi), a new gene editing technology. We examine WTP in four different choice experiment designs involving beef steaks with varying number of attributes, label setting and label wording to assess consumer demand. Results suggests consumers will require a discount for beef products produced using RNAi, with specific magnitudes varying substantially based upon the labeling wording faced by consumers. Therefore, ultimate RNAi adoption will reflect the magnitude of inner-supply chain, cost reductions given consumer demand.     

British consumers preferred fatness levels in beef: Surveys from 1955, 1982 and 2002

To identify changes of British consumer preferences for fatness in beef, in 2002 photographs of beef cuts were computer modified to achieve fatness levels (48%, 40%, 37% and 30% of the cut surface) used in similar surveys conducted in 1955 and 1982. Posters of the four beef cuts were presented to 1064 consumers, who ranked them and completed a socio-demographic questionnaire. The level of fat preferred by today’s consumers was less than in previous surveys. The proportions of consumers preferring the 40% fat beef were 62% in 1955, 24% in 1982 and 13% in 2002 whilst those preferring the leanest (30% fat) had increased from 12% in 1955 to 60% in 1982 and then stabilised at 53% in 2002. From 1982 to 2002, about a quarter of all consumer preferences, albeit from different consumer populations, had shifted from preferring 40% to 37% fat beef.     

Development of a beef flavor lexicon and its application to compare the flavor profile and consumer acceptance of rib steaks from grass- or grain-fed cattle

Ten panelists were selected from the local community to develop a meat lexicon composed of 18 terms that describe flavor attributes found in red meats. This flavor lexicon was used to compare the flavor profile of meat from beef cattle finished on grass or grain. Steaks from grass-fed animals were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in barny, bitter, gamey, and grassy flavor, and lower in juicy and umami notes. Gamey, barny, bitter and grassy were some of the attributes inversely correlated to the degree of liking of the meat and therefore can be classified as “negative” attributes. Brothy, umami, roast beef, juicy, browned, fatty and salty are some of the attributes positively correlated to the degree of liking of beef and therefore can be identified as attributes that drive consumers’ acceptance. Steaks from grass-fed cattle were rated by consumers as slightly liked (6.08 on a 9-point scale), while steaks from grain-fed animals were rated as moderately liked (7.05 on a 9-point scale).     

Consumer preferences for new fermented food products that mix animal and plant protein sources

Consumers are being encouraged to increase the proportion of plant protein in their diets to enhance the sustainability of food systems. One approach is to develop plant-protein-rich foods that are acceptable to consumers. This study examined French people’s reactions to cheese alternatives—new fermented products that mixed animal and plant protein sources. We conducted experimental sessions with 240 French participants to assess their responses to three fermented products containing different percentages of yellow pea and cow’s milk. First, we asked the participants to blind-taste the three products and solicited hedonic scores of products. We then provided the participants with simple information about the products’ composition and asked them to taste and score the liking of the products a second time. We also asked consumers to estimate their willingness to pay (WTP) for each product before and after revealing additional information about the nutritional or environmental benefits of consuming pea-based foods. The product with the lowest percentage of pea and the highest percentage of milk received the highest hedonic scores, and WTP was correlated with the hedonic scores. The additional information about the nutritional and environmental benefits of pea-based foods led to significant increases in WTP for two of the fermented products, but not for the least preferred product, namely the one with the highest percentage of pea. This finding suggests that participant reactions to information depended on hedonic preferences.     

Consumer’s purchasing intention for lamb meat affected by country of origin, feeding system and meat price: A conjoint study in Spain, France and United Kingdom

Food selection and consumption can be affected by different intrinsic and extrinsic cues. In this study, the effect of three extrinsic cues (country of origin, price and feeding system) on consumer’s purchasing decisions making process for lamb meat in three European countries: Spain, France and United Kingdom was investigated, as well as the relative importance of each cue. Four countries were considered for evaluating the effect of the country of origin (local, Argentina, Switzerland and Uruguay), three feeding systems (grain-fed, grass-fed and grain + grass-fed) and different price levels (low, medium and high), which were simultaneously compared. Fifteen profiles combining the different levels for each of the factors considered where those obtained by means of an orthogonal design. These profiles were evaluated by 100, 99 and 92 consumers in Spain, France and United Kingdom, respectively. Moreover, consumers sensory evaluated lamb from four different feeding systems, grain-fed, grass-fed and two mixtures of grain and grass-fed. Conjoint analysis was carried out both for evaluating clusters of consumers in each country and for considering an overall evaluation of all the countries at the same time. In general, the origin of the meat was the most important factor in determining consumer’s purchasing decisions making process, the local one being the most preferred. Uruguayan origin was the least preferred, which indicates that Uruguayan public and private sectors would need to enhance their country and meat image as well as support market promotion and penetration strategies in the European market. For some consumers the feeding system was the most important factor for choosing any particular meat amongst others, being grass-fed animal the most preferred. These results are not in agreement with the consumer’s acceptability studies of lamb meat when taste the meat from different feeding systems in a blind condition (without information), showing a disconfirmation. Lamb meat price has a minor role in determining consumer’s purchasing decisions. However, one segment of consumers, composed mainly by men, considered that the price is the most important factor. These findings showed the importance of studying consumer preferences and their segmentation for developing market promotions, which should have a holistic approach including extrinsic factors in the evaluation of consumer’s purchasing decisions making process.     

Importance of additional information,as a complement to information coming from packaging,to promote meat substitutes: A case study on a sausage based on vegetable proteins

Scientific literature has shown that a partial replacement of meat-based foods with plant-based foods would be beneficial for public health and the environment. However, both lack of sensory attractiveness and lack of consumer awareness regarding benefits of rebalancing diets in favor of plant protein partially explain the low market shares for meat alternatives. In the context of a possible substitution of a meat product (pork-based sausage) by a visually very close counterpart based on vegetable proteins, the objective of this work was to study the possibility of changing consumer preferences towards the plant-based product by gradually providing information concerning the health or environmental consequences of producing and consuming both types of products. We studied consumers’ preferences after a blind tasting, after a tasting in the presence of the packaging, and after the dissemination of two stages of information. The assessment of consumer preferences was carried out using purchase preferences (PP) and willingness to pay (WTP). After the blind tasting, PP were clearly oriented towards the meat product. After the tasting with packaging information, the gap between the two products narrowed, but PP were still turned towards the meat product. The dissemination of a first informative message about either health or the environment was not enough to modify consumers' WTP. Adding a second message concerning health led to an equivalence of the two products studied in terms of WTP and PP. The combination of the two environmentally informative messages also made it possible to obtain an equivalence of the WTP for both products, but the PP were still turned towards the pork product. This suggests that the impact of additional information depends on the information disseminated. Overall, these results militate in favor of the dissemination of information presenting the consequences of the consumption of meat-based or vegetable protein-based products.     

草饲与谷饲肉牛生产及产品质量特点分析

本文主要概述了草饲肉牛的起源、发展,分析了草饲和谷饲肉牛生产差异及两种牛肉安全、营养与保健的质量特点,探析了我国草饲业发展存在的问题。     

Identifying market segments in beef: Breed, slaughter weight and ageing time implications

In this paper we propose a method to learn the reasons why groups of consumers prefer some beef products to others. We emphasise the role of groups since, from a practical point of view, they may represent market segments that demand different products. Our method starts representing people’s preferences in a metric space; there we are able to define a kernel based similarity function that allows a clustering algorithm to identify significant groups of consumers with homogeneous likes. Finally, in each cluster, we developed, with a support vector machine (SVM), a function that explains the preferences of those consumers grouped in the cluster. The method was applied to a real case of consumers of beef that tasted beef from seven Spanish breeds, slaughtered at two different weights and aged for three different ageing periods. Two different clusters of consumers were identified for acceptability and tenderness, but not for flavour. Those clusters ranked two very different breeds (Asturiana and Retinta) in opposite order. In acceptability, ageing period was appreciated in a different way. However, in tenderness most consumers preferred long ageing periods and heavier to lighter animals.     

The role of beliefs in purchasing process of functional foods

This study utilizes food values in conjunction with willingness to pay (WTP) measures to identify consumers’ subjective beliefs about functional foods. We conducted a non-hypothetical, second price experimental auction (i.e., a Vickrey auction) to estimate WTP for a new functional snack made with white lupine and citrus fiber. A sample of 156 consumers was surveyed in Catania, Sicily (Italy) in July 2015. The findings of the economic experiment reveal a WTP premium for the new functional snack, a premium which depends on functional components but also on other characteristics that go beyond intrinsic healthy properties. Consumers’ WTP for functional foods significantly varies with food values related to origin, safety, naturalness, price, etc., which implies consumers have different subjective beliefs about functional and non-functional foods. These findings have implications for the food sector attempting to design and promote consumption of functional foods, and suggest health is not the only factor motivating functional food purchases.     

Relative importance of price in forming individuals’ decisions toward sustainable food: A calibrated auction-conjoint experiment

This paper explores the importance of pricing information in dealing with sustainable food preferences. It employs the Calibrated Auction-Conjoint Valuation Method (CACM), by comparing non-adjusted values from a self-explicated (hypothetical) conjoint method to the final calibrated values entered into an adjusted (real) auction. We found consumers significantly reduced their WTP when moving from the initial stage of the CACM (hypothetical self-explicated conjoint method) to the final stage (real auction), primarily by placing more importance on product prices, implying that WTP values from a self-explicated conjoint method used alone would likely lead to overstated estimates of WTP.     

Do consumers value food products containing upcycled ingredients? The effect of nutritional and environmental information

This study was the first to use a ranking experiment to estimate the effect of nutritional and environmental information on UK consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for biscuits containing an upcycled ingredient, namely, defatted sunflower cake flour. Informing consumers about the nutritional and/or environmental benefits of the upcycled ingredient resulted in a significant increase in their WTP for this new food. Moreover, we found that nutritional and/or environmental information similarly affected individual WTP distributions for the upcycled ingredient towards more positive values. Our findings have important implications for product development and marketing strategies of upcycled food businesses.     

Factors associated with consumer perception and conduct toward certified beef from Brazil

The aims of this study were to establish a relationship between consumers’ socioeconomic aspects, key meat attributes, and consumer perception and conduct toward traced beef in Brazil. The authors applied a structured form in 52 supermarkets in eight Brazilian cities, through interviews with 2.949 consumers, in 2012. Federal or state inspection stamp was the attribute that most influenced the consumers’ purchase decision (14.1%). Most of the interviewees (57.3%) had never heard about bovine traceability. Among those who had heard about bovine traceability, 63.2% would be willing to pay more for beef with certified origin. Consumers with higher education and income had a better knowledge about this type of certification, as well as older consumers, and therefore they would be willing to pay more for certified beef. This research suggests that educational level was the reason that most influenced Brazilian consumers during beef purchase.     

Health versus environmental benefits: Does additional information influence consumer acceptance of pulse-based spreads?

Despite the known health benefits and the potential for substituting less environmentally sustainable consumed foods such as meat, the current intake of pulses in developed countries remains less than recommended. Barriers are related to sensory characteristics and lack of knowledge about preparation, while drivers of environmental benefits are intangible. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of additional information about health or environmental benefits of pulses on the acceptance of novel pulse-based products from chickpeas, black beans, and faba beans. Perceptions of these pulse-based spreads in a blind and informed stage were assessed with 202 consumers in urban and suburban areas of Denmark. In general, the familiar chickpea spread followed by the relatively most unfamiliar black bean spread was liked the most. Only for these two products, additional information increased hedonic perception, regardless of the context (health or environmental benefits). If consumers did not like the spread, as found for the faba bean spread, providing additional information did not significantly alter this perception. Participants’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) in a discrete choice experiment corresponded to hedonic scores, whereas providing additional information increased the WTP. These findings suggest that extrinsic cues such as health or environmental benefits may only be useful in products with an acceptable baseline taste profile. Moreover, black beans might be investigated as a promising source for further product development due to their acceptance by consumers besides being the comparably most unfamiliar pulse type.