Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine empirically, using food safety and quality attributes
presented in the Caswell’s Classification as the analytical framework, whether a consumer’s
decision to purchase a food product at a given point of time, in this case Yoghurt and Full Cream
Milk Powder, is predominately governed by a ‘single’ common attribute/s such as ‘appearance’
or by a number of other attributes (i.e. ‘multiple’) such as ‘packaging’, ‘labeling’, ‘quality
certification’, and ‘brand’, collectively. This were examined empirically under three distinct
food safety information scenarios available to consumers as the product was presented to them
“visually”; (1) ‘No’; (2) ‘Partial’; or (3) ‘Full’ information about the product quality. Primary
data collected from 200 women consumers from urban household settings in the Gampaha district
during May to June 2014 were, in turn, used to derive a Food Quality Information Index (values
ranged from 0 to 1) for five different panels derived to elaborate these information scenarios.
The outcome of analysis suggests that consumer preference for these products increases as more
information is available on multiple attributes, including the ‘brand’, ‘labeling’, and ‘certification’,
or in other words, transforming those ‘Credence’ characteristics towards ‘Experience’ and/or
‘Search’ characteristics. Results from Chi-square analysis highlight that consumer behavior is not
significantly affected by their age, civil status, education, and level of income.
