FOOD SAFETY RISK PERCEPTION AND CONSUMER CHOICE OF SPECIALTY MEATS

Abstract

Consumer perception issues and recent microbial outbreaks in the livestock industry continue to stifle demand for specialty meats in the United States. This study was designed to explore impacts of risk perception issues on consumer choice of bison meat. A stated preference discrete choice random utility model, a joint risk perception/product choice model, and a probability of frequency method to aggregating risk scenarios, were used for a range of food safety/certification regimes. Perceived risk reduces bison consumption, but its effect declines with shifts to more regulatory control inherent in the different certification regimes.