Consumer Knowledge of Country of Origin of Fresh Food at Point of Purchase

ABSTRACT

Store-exit interviews were used to examine knowledge of country of origin (COO) of fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, and relative knowledge of price. Shoppers were certain of COO for 38% of purchases and of price for 53% of purchases. Overall, knowledge of COO for fresh foods was greater than previously reported for durables and processed foods. However, extent of knowledge varied somewhat by food category, and more noticeably for specific food items within categories. This study has implications in terms of provision and clarity of COO labeling of fresh foods, and associated potential for competitive advantage.

KEYWORDS:

• country of origin
• consumer knowledge
• food labeling
• fresh food

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Valentyna Melnyk (Massey University) for her valuable comments and suggestions that greatly contributed to improving the paper.