FOOD CHOICES: PERCEPTIONS AND PURCHASE BEHAVIOR OF PERSONS IN BLACK BELT STATES

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to determine the food safety attitudes, awareness and knowledge of persons in the black belt; determine how the knowledge and concerns of participants in food assistance programs is related to their purchase behavior; determine the extent to which demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are related to reported food safety and healthy food choices behavior.

APPROACH: Selected counties in the black belt states will be surveyed on their perception of food safety issues. Multivariate methods (probit and logit) will be used to model the relationships between socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and food safety concepts, knowledge, and purchase behavior.

PROGRESS: 1999/01 TO 1999/12

A Cooperative Agreement with Economic Research Service permitted the scope and objectives of this project to be expanded. A longitudinal database was created to track the trends and changes in key food safety variables such as concern levels, attitudinal changes and changes in the knowledge and behavior of consumers. In addition, data on the use of thermometers in food preparation were collected. Owing to the collection of new data in 1999, data analysis and report writing were partially suspended. The 1999 data have been merged with the 1998 data resulting in a total sample of 860. The project is currently in the data analysis phase using the augmented data. The focus of current analyses include determinants of food safety behavior with respect to food purchase, food labels use and thermometer use.

PUBLICATIONS: 1999/01 TO 1999/12

K. Adu-Nyako, and Alton Thompson. 1999. Food Safety Risk Perceptions and Behavior of Consumers in the Southern Black Belt Region of the US. Abstract. Paper presented at Amer. Ag. Econ. Association, Meetings, Nashville, TN. K. Adu-Nyako, and Alton Thompson. 1999. Food Safety:

Perceptions and Behavioral Patterns in the Southern Black Belt. Abstract. Paper presented at 12th Annual Meeting, North American Agromedicine Consortium, Raleigh NC.

PROJ NO: NCX-141-5-97-531-1 AGENCY: CSRS NC.X
PROJ TYPE: EVANS-ALLEN PROJ. STATUS: EXTENDED
START: 01 OCT 1996 TERM: 30 SEP 2000 FY: 1999

INVESTIGATOR: Adu-Nyako, K.; Thompson, A.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIV
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA 27411