Grounded in your Beef-liefs? Assessing the Malleability of U.S. Consumer Beliefs about Ground Beef

This study examined the malleability of beliefs and preferences about ground beef when presented with information about the environmental, animal welfare, and food safety impacts of organic and conventional beef production. Two online discrete choice experiments were used to illicit respondents’ beliefs and preferences for ground beef. Information treatments were then introduced to assess modification of belief parameters. We find information, particularly negative information, modified respondents’ beliefs about the relationship between credence attributes and perceived quality. Correspondingly, willingness-to-pay for organic status on ground beef changed an average of –70.50% (22 cents) to +38.96% (52 cents) depending on information treatment provided.