Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-2007

Journal or Book Title

Journal of Animal Science

Volume

85

Issue

10

First Page or Article ID Number

2639

Last Page

2659

DOI

10.2527/jas.2006-495

Abstract

This study utilizes an analysis technique commonly used in marketing, the conjoint analysis method, to examine the relative utilities of a set of beef steak characteristics considered by a national sample of 1,432 US consumers, as well as additional localized samples representing undergraduate students at a business college and in an animal science department. The analyses indicate that among all respondents, region of origin is by far the most important characteristic; this is followed by animal breed, traceability, animal feed, and beef quality. Alternatively, the cost of cut, farm ownership, the use (or nonuse) of growth promoters, and whether the product is guaranteed tender were the least important factors. Results for animal science undergraduates are similar to the aggregate results, except that these students emphasized beef quality at the expense of traceability and the nonuse of growth promoters. Business students also emphasized region of origin but then emphasized traceability and cost. The ideal steak for the national sample is from a locally produced, choice Angus fed a mixture of grain and grass that is traceable to the farm of origin. If the product was not produced locally, respondents indicated that their preferred production states are, in order from most to least preferred, Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas.

Comments

This article is from Journal of Animal Science 85, no. 10 (October 2007): 2639–2659, doi:10.2527/jas.2006-495.

Copyright Owner

Journal of Animal Science

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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