Consumer demand for and attitudes toward alternative beef labeling strategies in France, Germany, and the UK

Food safety scares have led to loss of consumer confidence in the quality and safety of beef products in Europe. To counteract such concerns, firms and regulators can use brands or labels to signal quality. Using data from mail surveys in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, we analyze consumer preferences for alternative beef labeling strategies: brands, origin labels, and mandatory labeling of beef from cattle fed genetically modified feed. The analysis suggests that consumers place more importance on labels of origin as opposed to private brands. More than 90% of surveyed consumers wanted a mandatory labeling program for beef produced from cattle fed genetically modified crops. [EconLit citations: D120, L660.] © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 19: 77-90, 2003.