Determinants of consumer willingness to pay for quality-graded Australian sheep meat

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara Tighe ◽  
Oscar Cacho ◽  
Stuart Mounter ◽  
Renato Villano ◽  
Alex Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Quality Differentiation ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Quality Grading ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
Quality Specifications ◽  
Consumer Age ◽  
Meat Samples ◽  
The Impact

The present study investigated the influence of a quality-grading system, demographic information and consumption preferences on consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for sheep meat. Eating quality was defined by four grades developed by the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) sheep meat-grading scheme. These grades were based on consumer palatability scores for cooked sheep-meat samples and described as 2-star (‘unsatisfactory’ quality), 3-star (‘good every day’ quality), 4-star (‘better than every day’ quality) and 5-star (‘premium’ quality). Currently, sheep-meat available in Australian retail outlets that meets MSA quality specifications is trademarked as ‘MSA graded’ and consists of lamb that falls into at least the 3-star quality band. There is no distinction made between 3-, 4- and 5-star-graded product. A challenge for marketers would be pricing the product by these three grades should finer-quality differentiation be adopted. The present study evaluated consumer WTP for the MSA quality grades and interactions with consumer demographic factors and consumption preferences. Results clearly showed that consumers were willing to pay less for the 2-star grade and more for 4- and 5-star grades, than for 3-star grade. Robust results for the impact of demographic and consumption preferences on WTP were limited to consumer age, occupation, income level and the interaction between MSA grade and consumer age.

Sire and growth path effects on sheep meat production. 2. Meat and eating quality

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
D. F. Stanley ◽  
E. S. Toohey ◽  
G. E. Gardner ◽  
D. W. Pethick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shear Force ◽  
Sarcomere Length ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Growth Path ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
The Impact

The meat and eating quality characteristics of 627 crossbred lamb progeny from 20 Poll Dorset sires were studied. The sires were selected on the basis of Australian sheep breeding values (ASBVs) for postweaning growth (PWWT), depth of loin muscle (PEMD) and subcutaneous fat (PFAT). Lambs were either weaned at 20- or 30-kg liveweight and then within each of these groups held at their weaning weight for 55 days or fully fed, giving four treatment groups. Restricted lambs were realimentated subsequent to the period of feed restriction and the lambs within each treatment group were slaughtered when their mean liveweight reached 45 kg.Shear force of the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LL) decreased with temperature at pH 6.0, increased with LL ultimate pH and decreased as sarcomere length increased. Within LL aged for 5 days there was no difference between (P > 0.05) between treatments for shear force. There was a treatment effect on M. semimembranosus (SM) shear force, such that for a sire having an average ASBV PWWT of 9.34, topsides from lambs early weaned and restricted had significantly (P < 0.05) lower values. Further within these same lambs, i.e. early weaned and restricted, as the sire ASBV PWWT increased there was a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in shear force. There was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in sensory tenderness as the sire ASBV PFAT increased and across the range of ASBV PFAT this represented a change in sensory tenderness of four points. Overall liking increased with an increase in the temperature at pH 6.0 (P < 0.05) with a coefficient of 0.43 ± 0.19. There was a significant (P < 0.05) interaction between feeding level and the sire ASBV PFAT, such that for restricted fed lambs overall liking increased as the ASBV PFAT increased (coefficient 2.80 ± 0.89) after adjusting for temperature at pH 6.0, but this is not the case for fully feed lambs (coefficient –0.01 ± 0.89). Subtle interactions between sire ASBVs and growth path suggest that the impact of a period of restriction and refeeding on meat and eating quality will be meditated by the sire genetics.

scholarly journals Influence of Demographic Factors on Sheepmeat Sensory Scores of American, Australian and Chinese Consumers

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel A. O’Reilly ◽  
Liselotte Pannier ◽  
Graham E. Gardner ◽  
Andrea J. Garmyn ◽  
Hailing Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Chinese Consumers ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Production Factors ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Longissimus Lumborum ◽  
Consumer Age ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Larger Sample

Along with animal production factors, it is important to understand whether demographic factors influence untrained consumer perceptions of eating quality. This study examined the impact of demographic factors and sheepmeat consumption preferences on eating quality scores of American, Australian and Chinese untrained consumers. M. longissimus lumborum (LL) and m. semimembranosus (SM) were grilled according to sheep Meat Standards Australia protocols and evaluated by 2160 consumers for tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall liking. Linear mixed effects models were used to analyse the impact of demographic factors and sheepmeat consumption habits on eating quality scores. Consumer age, gender, number of adults in a household and income had the strongest effect on sensory scores (P ≤ 0.05), although, the impact was often different across countries. Frequency of lamb consumption had an impact on sensory scores of American, Australian and Chinese consumers but larger sample sizes in some underrepresented subclasses for Australian and Chinese consumers are needed. Results suggest it is important to balance sensory panels for demographic factors of age, gender, number of adults and income to ensure sensory preferences are accurately represented for these particular populations.

The impact of processing on sensory and objective measurements of sheep meat eating quality

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 561 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Thompson ◽  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
D. N. D'Souza ◽  
P. J. Walker ◽  
S. R. Baud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Biceps Femoris ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Sensory Testing ◽  
Meat Eating ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Per Se ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Processing Factors ◽  
Age Category

The impact of processing factors on sheep meat eating quality was investigated in an experiment in which stimulation (stimulation and no stimulation), chilling rate (fast and slow chilling) and carcass suspension (tenderstretch and normally hung by Achilles tendon) treatments were overlaid on 80 lamb and 40 mutton carcasses processed over 2 days, at 2 different abattoirs. Within each carcass, 3 muscles (M. longissimus thoracics et lumborum, biceps femoris and serratus ventralis) were collected from both sides and aged for 2 of 3 ageing periods (2, 5 or 14 days), before sensory testing for tenderness, juiciness, like flavour and overall liking, using a consumer taste panel. Processing treatments of stimulation and chilling were variable in their effect on the rates of pH and temperature decline and temperature at pH 6 (temp@pH6), between the 4 slaughter groups. Therefore chilling rate and electrical stimulation were considered as tools by which temp@pH6 could be manipulated, rather than as treatment effects per se. Age category (lamb or mutton) had the largest impact on tenderness score, followed by muscle, ageing and carcass suspension. There were significant interactions for tenderness and overall liking scores between muscle × ageing, age category × muscle and carcass suspension × muscle (P<0.05). The magnitude of the tenderstretch advantage in sensory scores was a function of temp@pH6. In normally hung carcasses, the highest sensory scores were evident at about 21°C temp@pH6, with a decrease in sensory scores at high (>30°C) or low (<10°C) temp@pH6. There was a tendency for sensory scores (particularly for the like flavour score) to decline for the biceps femoris when it was stored for extended periods (14 days).

Microbiological Quality of Australian Sheep Meat

2001 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 697-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID PHILLIPS ◽  
JOHN SUMNER ◽  
JODIE F. ALEXANDER ◽  
KYM M. DUTTON
Keyword(s):  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Microbiological Techniques ◽  
Microbiological Criteria ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Meat Samples ◽  
Coagulase Positive Staphylococci

Microbiological quality of sheep carcasses and boneless sheep meat produced in Australia was surveyed during the period June to November 1998. Sponge samples were collected from 917 carcasses, and meat samples were drilled from 467 cartons of frozen boneless meat. Carcass and boneless meat samples were respectively collected from 7 and 10 establishments that concentrated on export, and from 36 and 5 establishments supplying the Australian domestic market of which 31 were very small plants slaughtering cattle and sheep but no more than 1,200 sheep equivalents per week. The mean log total viable counts were 3.55/cm2 and 3.30/g for carcasses and boneless meat, respectively. Escherichia coli was detected on 29.2% of carcasses and 24.5% of boneless meat samples and coagulase-positive staphylococci on 24.1% of carcasses, and 38.6% of boneless meat samples. Salmonella was detected on 0.1% of carcasses and 1.3% of boneless meat samples. E. coli O157:H7 was recovered from 0.7% of carcasses and 1.3% of boneless sheep meat. There were statistically significant differences between establishment types for some microbiological criteria, although there were no significant differences in prevalence of Salmonella or E. coli O157:H7 between establishment types. While there were differences in sampling and microbiological techniques between this study and another conducted in 1993 to 1994 that require detailed consideration, there were small but significant improvements in several microbiological criteria for boneless meat. While data that would allow for comparison of carcass data were not gathered, it is unlikely that improvements in the microbiological quality of boneless sheep meat could accrue without improvements to carcasses.

Some important changes in the Australian sheep meat processing industry

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 752 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
E. S. Toohey ◽  
K. L. Pearce ◽  
I. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Short Pulse ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Improve Product Quality ◽  
Meat Processing ◽  
Processing Industry ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Australian Sheep

In the last 5 years there has been a dramatic increase in the adoption in the Australian sheep meat processing industry of electrical technologies designed to streamline processing and improve product quality. Part of this change was initiated by an Australia-wide audit of lamb tenderness in 1997–98 and the development of a program to establish an eating quality scheme for sheep meat across Australia. Critically, these initiatives coincided with the development of new ways of administering electrical currents to either bodies or carcasses. Underlying this new approach is the electrocution of carcasses individually on segmented electrodes in a dose responsive way with electricity that has short pulse widths and lower voltages. This paper documents the pivotal factors which have contributed to this level of industry adoption and which has seen 14 abattoirs install the new technology. Of these abattoirs only one previously had any form of stimulation and these abattoirs represent more than 70% of the throughput of sheep and lambs on a tonnage basis per year in Australia.

New electrical stimulation technologies for sheep carcasses New electrical stimulation technologies for sheep carcasses

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 575 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. D. Shaw ◽  
S. R. Baud ◽  
I. Richards ◽  
D. W. Pethick ◽  
P. J. Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
High Voltage ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Electrode System ◽  
Constant Current ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Meat Eating ◽  
Medium Voltage ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
Maximum Voltage

High voltage electrical stimulation applied to the lamb carcass at the end of the dressing procedure often leads to an improvement in overall product quality by reducing the incidence of toughness. It would be advantageous if the same results could be consistently achieved with the use of lower, safer, voltages — medium voltage electrical stimulation. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of medium voltage electrical stimulation applied to wool-on carcasses on meat quality as assessed using the Sheep Meat Eating Quality protocols. A further experiment examined the interaction of electrical stimulation and meat aging time on the consumer acceptance of lamb meat. In the first experiment, 3 treatments: control (non-stimulated), medium voltage electrical stimulation (applied to the wool-on carcass) and high voltage electrical stimulation (applied at the completion of dressing) were examined. Samples of the loin (LTL) and rump (GM) muscles were evaluated by consumers using Sheep Meat Eating Quality protocols. For both muscles, the consumers gave higher scores for tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall acceptability to the stimulated product (P<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 stimulation treatments. The second experiment was conducted at a commercial lamb-processing abattoir that had installed a prototype automated electrode system designed to work at chain speed. Lambs received either no stimulation (control), low current medium voltage electrical stimulation (constant current 300 mA peak, 15 Hz, maximum voltage 550 V peak) or high current medium voltage electrical stimulation (constant current 600 mA peak, 15 Hz, maximum voltage 550 V peak) immediately after sticking. Electrical stimulation improved both the objective and sensory (Sheep Meat Eating Quality) eating quality attributes of lamb loin muscle when assessed following 2 days of ageing. When expressed according to consumer satisfaction rating, 30, 37 and 70% of the loins receiving low, high or no electrical stimulation, respectively, were rated as unsatisfactory at 2 days of ageing. At 4 days of ageing no loins from carcasses in the low stimulation treatment were rated by consumers to be unsatisfactory (P<0.05) compared with either non-stimulated (40%) or high-stimulated loins (35%). With respect to the effects of aging meat, electrical stimulation improved the consumer score at 2 days post-stunning by 8.9 and 4.7 points for tenderness and overall liking, respectively. Further linear improvements due to aging were similar for both electrical stimulation and unstimulated products. Under conditions of no electrical stimulation used in this experiment, 10 days aging results in tenderness and overall liking scores greater than 60 and with ES similar scores are achieved in 5 days. Consumer scores over 60 greatly reduce the chance of meat being classified as unsatisfactory.

scholarly journals Do millennials value travel time differently because of productive multitasking? A revealed-preference study of Northern California commuters

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliaksandr Malokin ◽  
Giovanni Circella ◽  
Patricia L. Mokhtarian
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Choice Model ◽  
Mode Choice ◽  
Revealed Preference ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Impact

AbstractMillennials, the demographic cohort born in the last two decades of the twentieth century, are reported to adopt information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their everyday lives, including travel, to a greater extent than older generations. As ICT-driven travel-based multitasking influences travelers’ experience and satisfaction in various ways, millennials are expected to be affected at a greater scale. Still, to our knowledge, no previous studies have specifically focused on the impact of travel multitasking on travel behavior and the value of travel time (VOTT) of young adults. To address this gap, we use an original dataset collected among Northern California commuters (N = 2216) to analyze the magnitude and significance of individual and household-level factors affecting commute mode choice. We estimate a revealed-preference mode choice model and investigate the differences between millennials and older adults in the sample. Additionally, we conduct a sensitivity analysis to explore how incorporation of explanatory factors such as attitudes and propensity to multitask while traveling in mode choice models affects coefficient estimates, VOTT, and willingness to pay to use a laptop on the commute. Compared to non-millennials, the mode choice of millennials is found to be less affected by socio-economic characteristics and more strongly influenced by the activities performed while traveling. Young adults are found to have lower VOTT than older adults for both in-vehicle (15.0% less) and out-of-vehicle travel time (15.7% less), and higher willingness to pay (in time or money) to use a laptop, even after controlling for demographic traits, personal attitudes, and the propensity to multitask. This study contributes to better understanding the commuting behavior of millennials, and the factors affecting it, a topic of interest to transportation researchers, planners, and practitioners.

scholarly journals The Impact of Environmental Sustainability Labels on Willingness-to-Pay for Foods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Discrete Choice Experiments

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2677
Author(s):  
Anastasios Bastounis ◽  
John Buckell ◽  
Jamie Hartmann-Boyce ◽  
Brian Cook ◽  
Sarah King ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Discrete Choice ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Purchasing Power Parity ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Choice Experiments ◽  
Discrete Choice Experiments ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
The Impact

Food production is a major contributor to environmental damage. More environmentally sustainable foods could incur higher costs for consumers. In this review, we explore whether consumers are willing to pay (WTP) more for foods with environmental sustainability labels (‘ecolabels’). Six electronic databases were searched for experiments on consumers’ willingness to pay for ecolabelled food. Monetary values were converted to Purchasing Power Parity dollars and adjusted for country-specific inflation. Studies were meta-analysed and effect sizes with confidence intervals were calculated for the whole sample and for pre-specified subgroups defined as meat-dairy, seafood, and fruits-vegetables-nuts. Meta-regressions tested the role of label attributes and demographic characteristics on participants’ WTP. Forty-three discrete choice experiments (DCEs) with 41,777 participants were eligible for inclusion. Thirty-five DCEs (n = 35,725) had usable data for the meta-analysis. Participants were willing to pay a premium of 3.79 PPP$/kg (95%CI 2.7, 4.89, p ≤ 0.001) for ecolabelled foods. WTP was higher for organic labels compared to other labels. Women and people with lower levels of education expressed higher WTP. Ecolabels may increase consumers’ willingness to pay more for environmentally sustainable products and could be part of a strategy to encourage a transition to more sustainable diets.

Water Quality Violations and Avoidance Behavior: Evidence from Bottled Water Consumption

2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 448-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Graff Zivin ◽  
Matthew Neidell ◽  
Wolfram Schlenker
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Avoidance Behavior ◽  
Bottled Water ◽  
Poor Water Quality ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

We examine the impact of poor water quality on avoidance behavior by estimating the change in bottled water purchases in response to drinking water violations. Using data from a national grocery chain matched with water quality violations, we find an increase in bottled water sales of 22 percent from violations due to microorganisms and 17 percent from violations due to elements and chemicals. Back-of-the envelope calculations yield costs of avoidance behavior at roughly $60 million for all nationwide violations in 2005, which likely reflects a significant understatement of the total willingness to pay to eliminate violations.

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