Public or Private Production of Food Safety: What Do U.S. Consumers Want? / V. Kerry Smith, Carol Mansfield, Aaron Strong.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, V. Kerry.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Mansfield, Carol.

Strong, Aaron.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w14287.

NBER working paper series no. w14287

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Public or Private Production of Food Safety

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2008.

Summary:

This paper reports estimates of consumers' preferences for plans to improve food safety. The plans are distinguished based on whether they address the ex ante risk of food borne illness or the ex post effects of the illness. They are also distinguished based on whether they focus on a public good -- reducing risk of illness for all consumers or allowing individual households to reduce their private risks of contracting a food borne pathogen. Based on a National Survey conducted in 2007 using the Knowledge Network internet panel our findings indicate consumers favor ex ante risk reductions and are willing to pay approximately $250 annually to reduce the risk of food borne illness. Moreover, they prefer private to public approaches and would not support efforts to reduce the severity of cases of illness over risk reductions.

Notes:

Print version record

August 2008.