The effect of visibility of country of origin labelling on consumers' fresh meat preferences

Abstract

PurposeThe intent of displaying country of origin (COO) detail on food packaging is to inform consumers' purchase decisions. Of interest is whether how the COO information is displayed is important to consumers. This study examines the importance of attributes associated with the visibility of COO labelling in the context of packaged fresh meat.Design/methodology/approachBest–worst Scaling (BWS) is used to investigate consumers' preferences for label attributes. Treatments involved two countries (New Zealand and Australia), four font sizes and two placement positionings of COO information on the packaging.FindingsFirst, the study indicated consumers' preference for domestic than imported meat. This finding supports the intent of COO labelling, which is to inform product selection. Second, the authors ascertained that how COO information is displayed in terms of visibility is important also. Consumers indicated a preference for larger than smaller font size. However, where the COO detail is located on the packaging is of less importance.Originality/valueWhile regulations increasingly apply to provision of COO labelling of fresh foods, surprisingly little research has considered consumers' preferences for labelling practice. The study’s findings have implications for public policy decisions and contribute guidelines for retail practice.