Consumer preferences for food irradiation: How favorable and unfavorable descriptions affect preferences for irradiated pork in experimental auctions

John A. Fox, Dermot J. Hayes, Jason F. Shogren

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Experimental auctions were used to examine the effects of alternative descriptions of food irradiation on willingness-to-pay for a pork sandwich irradiated to control Trichinella. As expected, a favorable description of irradiation increased willingness-to-pay, and an unfavorable description decreased willingness-to-to-pay. Notably, when subjects were given both the pro- and anti-irradiation descriptions, the negative description dominated and willingness-to-pay decreased. This was true even though the source of the negative information was identified as being a consumer advocacy group and the information itself was written in a manner that was non-scientific. If this is a widespread phenomenon, the process provides those who make inaccurate claims about new technologies a greater incentive than would otherwise be the case.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)75-95
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of Risk and Uncertainty
Volume24
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2002
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Auctions
  • Bidding
  • Food safety
  • Information
  • Irradiation
  • Risk

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Economics and Econometrics

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