Abstract:
This study assesses, using the Caswell’s classification on food quality attributes
(1998), what quality attributes that consumers consider most important in their
decision to purchase fresh milk stored in tetra-pack containers, and the impact of a
number of socio-economic characteristics of consumers on this behavior. A consumer
survey was carried out (n=664) in the Gampaha district from April to May in 2005,
and data pertaining to 100 who consume it with the highest frequency (i.e. 3.43
packs/week) were considered for the empirical analysis. The results based on two
indices, namely the “Mean Score of Quality Attribute” (MSQA) and the “Food
Quality Responsive Index” (FQRI) suggest that attributes such as purity, appearance,
size, convenience, and informational labeling from “value” and “package” subsets
were the most important. It also shows that consumers did not judge that tetra-packs
enhance attributed included in the “food safety” and “nutrition” subsets to a larger
extent. The statistic outcome based on Ordered Logistic regression techniques, where
the values of FQRI were used to develop four dependent variables, shows that factors
such as age, marital status, sex, and level of education and income of a consumer
have a significant impact on this behavior. The results suggest that the market can
work effectively on promoting the sales of fresh milk by enhancing its quality in terms
of value and packaging attributes, while the government should take into account of
regulating the attributes of food safety and nutrition through appropriate food
standards.
