Compromise Effect in Food Consumer Choices in China: An Analysis on Pork Products

In 2019, the area of the European Union (EU) affected by African swine fever (ASF) expanded progressively in a southwestern direction from Baltic and eastern countries. The disease can severely affect and disrupt regional and international trade of pigs and pork products with serious socioeconomic damages to the pig industry. Lombardy is one of the most important European pig producers and the introduction of ASF into the pig population could adversely affect the entire sector. A study was carried out to identify the farms and territories in the region most at risk of ASF introduction to plan preventive measures. The pig holdings were identified through a descriptive analysis of pig movements and Social Network Analysis (SNA), while, for the identification of the most exposed municipalities, an assessment of risk factors was carried out using the ranking of summed scores attributed to the Z-score. From the analysis, it was found that 109 municipalities and 297 pig holdings of the region were potentially more at risk, and these holdings were selected for target surveillance. This information was provided to veterinary authority to target surveillance in pig farms, in order to early detect a possible incursion of ASF and prevent its spread.

Download Full-text

Consumers want pork with ‘adjectives'

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an17362 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 57 (12) ◽

pp. 2331 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D. N. D'Souza ◽

D. Cleary ◽

R. J. E. Hewitt

Keyword(s):

Production Systems ◽

Consumer Preferences ◽

Pork Products ◽

Consumption Decisions ◽

Brand Recognition ◽

Extrinsic Cues ◽

Credence Attributes ◽

Pork Product ◽

Welfare Production

Pork is the most consumed meat globally, but its consumption varies widely across the major pork-consuming nations. Consumers consider a wide variety of intrinsic and extrinsic cues, and credence attributes, when making purchasing and consumption decisions for food products. Brand recognition has been an important extrinsic cue for consumers, especially in the case of pork-product quality. However, the branding of fresh pork products in Australia has not been very prominent, due to the dominance of retailer ‘home-brand’ labels. However, increasingly these retailer labels are using information and branding relating to adjectives (credence attributes), for example, animal welfare, production systems, environment. The role of these credence attributes in Australia are now very much regarded by consumers as surrogate indicators of pork quality. The present paper will look at consumer preferences and attitudes to pork and the role credence attributes play when consumers purchase pork. In addition, the paper looks at the role of retailers in delivering pork with adjectives.

Download Full-text

Identification and Characterization of Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica Isolates by PCR and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.71.7.3674-3681.2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 71 (7) ◽

pp. 3674-3681 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

S. Thisted Lambertz ◽

M.-L. Danielsson-Tham

Keyword(s):

Multiplex Pcr ◽

Yersinia Enterocolitica ◽

Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Virulence Plasmid ◽

Pork Meat ◽

Pulsed Field ◽

Pork Products ◽

Food Borne ◽

Pork Samples

ABSTRACT Approximately 550 to 600 yersiniosis patients are reported annually in Sweden. Although pigs are thought to be the main reservoir of food-borne pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica, the role of pork meat as a vehicle for transmission to humans is still unclear. Pork meat collected from refrigerators and local shops frequented by yersiniosis patients (n = 48) were examined for the presence of pathogenic Yersinia spp. A combined culture and PCR method was used for detection, and a multiplex PCR was developed and evaluated as a tool for efficient identification of pathogenic food and patient isolates. The results obtained with the multiplex PCR were compared to phenotypic test results and confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In all, 118 pork products (91 raw and 27 ready-to-eat) were collected. Pathogenic Yersinia spp. were detected by PCR in 10% (9 of 91) of the raw pork samples (loin of pork, fillet of pork, pork chop, ham, and minced meat) but in none of the ready-to-eat products. Isolates of Y. enterocolitica bioserotype 4/O:3 were recovered from six of the PCR-positive raw pork samples; all harbored the virulence plasmid. All isolates were recovered from food collected in shops and, thus, none were from the patients' home. When subjected to PFGE, the six isolates displayed four different NotI profiles. The same four NotI profiles were also present among isolates recovered from the yersiniosis patients. The application of a multiplex PCR was shown to be an efficient tool for identification of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica isolates in naturally contaminated raw pork.

Download Full-text