Consumers’ perceptions of meat safety and quality – a qualitative content analysis from Afghanistan

Purpose This study analyses consumers’ perception of meat quality and safety in Afghanistan at the pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest stages. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data were collected through seven focus group discussions with 52 participants in Kabul and Bamyan, Afghanistan, between September and December 2020. A qualitative content analysis was undertaken using the Total Food Quality Model and the MAXQDA software. Findings At the pre-harvest stage, both sedentary and nomadic ruminants’ meat was perceived as high in quality and safety, with lower food safety hazards, unlike urban-raised ruminants’ meat. At the harvest stage, supermarket meat was perceived as better in hygiene, but not in freshness. Additionally, there were doubts about the Halal-slaughtering of this meat. Conversely, butchery meat was perceived as fresh, natural and trustworthy, but unhygienic. At the post-harvest stage, the most important quality attributes before purchase were color, freshness, place-of-origin, safety and Halal-slaughtering, and after purchase were taste and tenderness. Lack of consumer trust was also noticed for the formal institution, i.e. supermarket meat. Research limitations/implications This study provides valuable new results from Afghanistan that could be transferred to other Islamic-developing countries given the similarities in their meat industry, i.e. availability of both formal and informal institutions, and the sensitivity of Muslim consumers to Halal-slaughtering. Nonetheless, the qualitative nature of the study design demands further research, employing, e.g. a quantitative approach. Future studies conducted in other countries with similar context could validate the results of this paper. Originality/value Knowledge on consumer behavior in Afghanistan is scarce. The present study is one among a few that provides empirical evidence on Afghan consumers. Additionally, it is the first study to compare consumers’ perceptions of traditional butchery meat and supermarket meat.