Description
Americans are eating hamburgers more well-done than in the past, according to national surveys. This change reduced the risk of E. coli O157:H7 infection by an estimated 4.6 percent and reduced associated medical costs and productivity losses by an estimated $7.4 million annually.
Consumer Food Safety Behaviour: A Case
Study in Hamburger Cooking and
Ordering
More Americans are eating hamburgers more well-done than in the past, according to
national surveys. This change reduced the risk of E. coli O157:H7 infection by an estimated
4.6 percent and reduced associated medical costs and productivity losses by an estimated
$7.4 million annually. In a 1996 survey, respondents who were more concerned about the
risk of food borne illness cooked and ordered hamburgers more well-done than those who
were less concerned. However, respondents who strongly preferred hamburgers less well-
done cooked and ordered them that way, even after accounting for their concern about the
risk of illness. While E. coli O157:H7 in hamburger is a small part of the burden of food
borne illness—estimated at 5,000 deaths and more than $6.9 billion in medical costs and
reduced productivity annually—these findings illustrate the potential benefits from
encouraging consumers to follow food safety recommendations as part of an overall strategy
to reduce the toll of food borne illness.
When you analyse this case what you come across is a consumer who is very aware
about the product, effects the product will have on his health and has a clear notion of what
he wants and what he doesn’t want. Now this knowledge makes the consumer move away
from a trend i.e. it makes the consumer change his behaviour from what it has been in the
past. Consumers make their decisions on how to cook and order foods based on several
factors, including taste, palatability, and perceived food safety risk. Consumer behaviour has
changed over time, due in part to increased awareness of the risk of food borne illness and
the importance of thorough cooking in reducing that risk.
doc_170234762.docx
Americans are eating hamburgers more well-done than in the past, according to national surveys. This change reduced the risk of E. coli O157:H7 infection by an estimated 4.6 percent and reduced associated medical costs and productivity losses by an estimated $7.4 million annually.
Consumer Food Safety Behaviour: A Case
Study in Hamburger Cooking and
Ordering
More Americans are eating hamburgers more well-done than in the past, according to
national surveys. This change reduced the risk of E. coli O157:H7 infection by an estimated
4.6 percent and reduced associated medical costs and productivity losses by an estimated
$7.4 million annually. In a 1996 survey, respondents who were more concerned about the
risk of food borne illness cooked and ordered hamburgers more well-done than those who
were less concerned. However, respondents who strongly preferred hamburgers less well-
done cooked and ordered them that way, even after accounting for their concern about the
risk of illness. While E. coli O157:H7 in hamburger is a small part of the burden of food
borne illness—estimated at 5,000 deaths and more than $6.9 billion in medical costs and
reduced productivity annually—these findings illustrate the potential benefits from
encouraging consumers to follow food safety recommendations as part of an overall strategy
to reduce the toll of food borne illness.
When you analyse this case what you come across is a consumer who is very aware
about the product, effects the product will have on his health and has a clear notion of what
he wants and what he doesn’t want. Now this knowledge makes the consumer move away
from a trend i.e. it makes the consumer change his behaviour from what it has been in the
past. Consumers make their decisions on how to cook and order foods based on several
factors, including taste, palatability, and perceived food safety risk. Consumer behaviour has
changed over time, due in part to increased awareness of the risk of food borne illness and
the importance of thorough cooking in reducing that risk.
doc_170234762.docx