Household Salads Consumption in Japan: An Application of the two-step Demand System

Abstract

In Japan, the trend of outsourcing and simplification of meals is likely to expand. Looking at fresh vegetables, they are increasingly replaced by prepared salads. This paper aims to analysis the consumption structure of fresh vegetables used for salads by applying a LA/AIDS model taking into consideration the issue of zero-consumption, using micro data of the “Family Income and Expenditure Survey” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan. The main findings is followings. Salads are used more frequently by the households with a working wife and with fewer members, and the absolute value of their own-price elasticity decreased in the subject ten years. These suggest that salads have become more common and the impact of their price on the consumption amount is becoming smaller. Salads will become a more important element for outsourcing and simplification of meals.