Do Consumer Responses to Media Food Safety Information Last?

Using experimental methods with adult subjects from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, this research examines both the short-and longer-term impacts of media information on consumer purchasing behavior. Subjects in the treatment group were given food safety information about poultry from a popular consumer magazine. Willingness to pay (WTP) estimates were then elicited for two types of chicken breasts: (1) a leading-brand that was identified in the information treatment as having a high incidence of Campylobacter and Salmonella bacteria; and (2) a lesser known brand, which was reported as being relatively free of harmful bacteria. Results indicated that both negative and positive food safety information significantly impacted consumers' WTP for safer chicken compared to the reportedly less-safe leading-brand chicken. These changes in behavior persisted throughout the seven-week study period.