Consumer Perception on Purchase Decision Factors and Health Indicators Related to the Quality and Safety of Meat Sold in Dibiteries in Dakar, Senegal

Abstract

Accelerated socio-economic and demographic changes have led to the transformation of eating habits in sub-Saharan African cities including Dakar, Senegal. The result is the proliferation of informal fast-food establishments, such as the ‘dibiteries’ serving braised sheep meat. However, owing to poor hygiene practices, consumption of dibiterie meat poses a public health concern. It was unclear how the dibiterie meat quality and safety were perceived among customers who define their own purchasing social norms. A total of 165 meat consumers were randomly selected and interviewed, from 165 dibiteries sampled by convenience in the Dakar region using a structured questionnaire. Results showed that purchase decisions were guided by trust in the salesperson’s expertise, the taste of the product, perceived risk of meat contamination, tenderness, price, the nutritional value, the smell and the colour and freshness of the meat. The perceived quality and safety of dibiterie meat was expressed by the ‘organoleptic quality’, ‘environment and service’ and ‘price and trust of the product’s safety’ factors. The majority of consumers (61%) were ‘less concerned’ about the safety of dibiterie meat, and the acceptable price range of the product was between $5.08 and $7.62. As this food product is gaining popularity in Dakar and the majority of our participating consumers do not show high levels of concern, we suggest stricter standards.

Exploring the composition and structure of milk and meat value chains, food safety risks and governance in the Addis Ababa and Oromia regions of Ethiopia

“…Previous studies have also reported that there are no differences between the formal and informal meat and milk value chains in the adoption levels of hygienic practices and practices (Minten et al, 2020;Seko et al, 2020). Low compliance and reluctance of meat and milk value chain actors to voluntarily and rigorously follow regulatory directives may be due to a lack of knowledge of the health and economic benefits of adopting these measures and a belief that adoption costs may exceed the derived benefits and poor enforcement of laws by officials (Nyokabi et al, 2018a;Seko et al, 2020). The presence of a large informal value chain with a heterogenous set of actors in Ethiopia complicates government efforts to enforce food safety regulations as laws do not currently take into account the differing sizes and contexts of actors (Vipham et al, 2018;Blackmore et al, 2022).…”

“…Foodborne zoonoses negatively impact human health (Garedew et al, 2012;Cavalerie et al, 2021), with food serving as a medium for pathogen transmission if proper hygiene is not observed or implemented during the handling of ASF (Tigabu et al, 2015;Kumar et al, 2020). Previous studies have also reported that there are no differences between the formal and informal meat and milk value chains in the adoption levels of hygienic practices and practices (Minten et al, 2020;Seko et al, 2020). Low compliance and reluctance of meat and milk value chain actors to voluntarily and rigorously follow regulatory directives may be due to a lack of knowledge of the health and economic benefits of adopting these measures and a belief that adoption costs may exceed the derived benefits and poor enforcement of laws by officials (Nyokabi et al, 2018a;Seko et al, 2020).…”

Effectiveness and cost of an incentive-based intervention on food safety and income in “dibiteries” in Dakar, Senegal

“…This quality production could therefore allow an increase in the selling price of braised meat. Indeed, a recent study had shown that 84% of dibiterie meat consumers are ready to pay up to USD 0.84 more on the purchase prices to improve the defects of the dibiterie meat quality [ 35 ]. In addition, this price increase associated with the scale economy strategy (increasing returns to scale) could help to absorb these losses [ 36 ].…”

“…The perception of quality among dibiterie meat consumers is oriented towards organoleptic or sensory quality (taste, flavour, tenderness, etc.). Orou Seko et al [ 35 ] found that 61% of consumers were less concerned about health factors when buying braised meat in dibiteries.…”

Influence of Price Level and Perceived Price Dispersion on Consumer Information Search Behaviour: Moderating Effect of Durables and Consumables

“…Previous studies have confirmed that risk aversion is the root cause of CISB [3,4], to reduce uncertainty and risk, consumers usually try to search relevant product information before buying [5], and as an important factor in delivering product quality and value, a product's price significantly affects consumers' perception of risk and plays a crucial role in their purchasing behaviors [6,7]. Scholars have conducted a large number of studies on the impact of price factor, which is usually the most important influencing factor for search behavior.…”