Consumers’ preferences and willingness-to-pay for traceability systems in purchasing meat and meat products

At present, consumers are more concerned and cautious with their food intake, especially regarding food safety. Considering the majority of headlines of food safety controversies involving the meat industries, the calls for traceability systems to protect consumers from potential health risks while assuring the quality and safety of the food are deemed necessary. This requires the prompt establishment of comprehensive food traceability systems in the meat industries. Thus, this study aimed to determine consumers’ preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for traceability systems while purchasing meat and meat products. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire with 503 respondents that were selected through random sampling in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Data collected was analyzed using the contingent valuation method (CVM) and binary logistic regression analysis. More than half of the respondents (290; 57.7%) indicated their WTP at a higher price for traceable meat and meat products. Out of the 290 (57.7%) respondents that are willing to pay at a premium price for traceable meat and meat products, the majority (182) indicated their WTP a premium price of less than 5%, followed by 62 respondents with an indication of WTP between 5-10% premium prices. Further analysis using binary logistic regression to predict the most influential factors on consumers’ WTP for meat and meat products with traceability systems revealed that gender, income, Halal certificate, and transparency are significant with positive relationships. The results showed that a traceability system will be accepted by consumers as a mechanism that enhances food safety as well as meets their demand for a consistent supply of high-quality meat and meat products. In an effort to increase consumers’ preferences for safer meat and meat products, the relevant stakeholders need to execute the practice of traceability systems in the meat supply chain.