Food Quality and Consumer Choice

Abstract

Within any food product range, prices can vary quite widely. The article takes the view that an individual consumer is prepared to pay a premium for what he/she regards as high quality. The article examines some of the characteristics which apply to those products at the expensive end of the range – and suggests that they may be categorized into those of genuine quality and those of pseudo quality. Genuine quality refers to products which provide real improvements, e.g. nutrition or keeping quality, when compared with the basic end of the range – and incur extra costs to produce. By contrast, pseudo quality confers no additional benefit on the consumer in terms of the food and often exploits consumer ignorance. Concludes that the food industry should place much greater emphasis on genuine quality. By doing so, public confidence in the industry would be raised.