Consumer Attitudes and Purchase Intentions for Antibiotic-Free Pork in Poland: An Empirical Study

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the research findings on consumer preferences for purchasing pork labelled “raised without antibiotics.” Therefore, a study was conducted in order to: (1) investigate the way consumers view pork labelled “raised without antibiotics,” (2) explore the differences in socio-demographic factors which affect the way it is perceived, (3) determine the consumers’ willingness to purchase pork labelled “raised without antibiotics” and the factors affecting their purchasing decisions, (4) make an attempt to determine the profile of consumers who prefer pork labelled “raised without antibiotics.” Design/Methodology/Approach: The factual material covered by the study was collected through a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of 1177 Polish residents. The analysis included the consumers’ socio-demographic characteristics and preference for pork labelled “raised without antibiotics.” The study relied on the classification tree method, including the CHAID modeling technique. Findings: The study found that the consumer group who prefer meat labelled “raised without antibiotics” consists of women and people aged over 45. More than three-quarters of consumers would willingly buy it despite realizing that it costs more than available unlabelled pork products. Also, the respondents are inclined to pay more for pork raised without antibiotics, as more than half of them would accept a 10% to 20% surcharge over products not labelled this way. Practical implications: Faced with a growing number of health risks, including the presence of antibiotic residues in pork, both its consumers and its producers look for solutions to adequately address these issues. This includes producing pork in a non-antibiotic approach, on the one hand, and selling pork labelled “raised without antibiotics,” on the other. For many increasingly informed consumers, the above is an important driver of their purchasing preferences for pork. Originality/value: The results of research presented in this paper come to bridge a cognitive gap in understanding what drives the Polish population’s preferences for buying and consuming pork labelled “raised without antibiotics.” They also emphasize the importance of sustainable pork production, especially including the no-antibiotic farming systems used in making food safer and more health-beneficial.