Buyer and Seller Response to an Adverse Food Safety Event: The Case of Frozen Salmon in Alberta

Fish is a low-fat protein source high in omega-3 fatty acids, but in 2004 consumers also heard that farmed salmon had high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs). This research evaluated how Canadian consumers and processors reacted to the conflicting health messages. Demand estimates and time-series analysis of 2001-2006 frozen meat scanner data in Alberta, Canada show a significant drop in salmon expenditure share following the PCB finding. The industry responded by launching low-priced wild salmon products, which contributed to significant demand expansion. The analysis illustrates how a food safety threat was averted and even served as a catalyst for growth.Salmon, Scanner data, Food Safety, Demand, Directed acyclic graphs, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, D12, L15, Q11,

Buyer and Seller Responses to an Adverse Food Safety Event: The Case of Frozen Salmon in Alberta

Fish is a low-fat protein source high in omega-3 fatty acids, but in 2004 consumers also heard that farmed salmon had high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs). This research evaluated how Canadian consumers and processors reacted to the conflicting health messages. Demand estimates and time-series analysis of 2001-2006 frozen meat scanner data in Alberta, Canada show a significant drop in salmon expenditure share following the PCB finding. The industry responded by launching low-priced wild salmon products, which contributed to significant demand expansion. The analysis illustrates how a food safety threat was averted and even served as a catalyst for growth.salmon, scanner data, food safety, demand, directed acyclic graphs, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Q10, Q11, Q16, Q22,

The Effects of E. Coli 0157:H7, FMD and BSE on Japanese Retail Beef Prices: A Historical Decomposition

This study examines the time-varying Japanese price reactions to the 2001 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) discovery, the 2000 outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD), and the 1996 E. coli food po isoning events. Historical decomposition of retail-level price-series aids in explaining the behavior of beef prices in a neighborhood (period-by-period time interval) of the three events. This is based on an application of directed acyclic graphs, constructing orthogonal innovations to determine causal patterns behind contemporaneous innovations. The results show the beef safety events had different negative impacts on Japanese retail beef prices, suggesting that consumers understood and differentiated among the health risks. The results provide incentives for beef producers and retailers to proactively inform consumers about ongoing beef safety measures. Understanding consumer reaction to BSE, FMD and E. coli helps the beef industry restore consumer confidence after future food safety crises, and provides policy makers a basis for countermeasures and compensations.Japan, beef prices, BSE, FMD, E. coli, historical decomposition., Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries, Q11, Q13,

Understanding the Market for Holstein Steers

A semi-structured interview process was combined with an econometric analysis to document the newly changed structure of the Holstein sector, to evaluate existing quality perceptions, and to assess the impact that recent changes in production practices have had on prices of Holstein steers. Results suggest that finished Holstein steer prices are driven by many of the same market factors as native steers, overturning some common quality misconceptions. The shift towards the calf-fed production model appears to have greatly affected the market for backgrounded Holstein steers, but had little impact on the prices for light Holstein feeder steers.Marketing,

UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET FOR HOLSTEIN STEERS

A semi-structured interview process was combined with an econometric analysis to document the newly changed structure of the Holstein sector, to evaluate existing quality perceptions, and to assess the impact that recent changes in production practices have had on prices of Holstein steers. Results suggest that finished Holstein steer prices are driven by many of the same market factors as native steers, overturning some common quality misconceptions. The shift towards the calf-fed production model appears to have greatly affected the market for backgrounded Holstein steers, but had little impact on the prices for light Holstein feeder steers.Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing,

Market Potential for Locally Produced Meat Products

The goal of this research was to guide livestock producers in marketing, product design and pricing decisions. Tools included a focus group, a consumer taste-testing and willingness-to-pay survey, and a restaurant survey. Experience attributes of locally produced ground beef were especially competitive, and demand for credence attributes packaged under the "local" label appears consistent with a niche market that could justify verification programs. Restaurants are a potentially receptive outlet for local meats, allowing producers to avoid the barriers to entry in mainstream grocery outlets.Agribusiness,

Molecular-Diffusive Effects in Penetrative Convection

An experimental study was performed to investigate the influence of molecular diffusion on turbulent entrainment during penetrative convection. The entrainment coefficient E was determined as a function of the Richardson number Ri and Peclet number Pe. It appears that, in parameter ranges 6

Caryophyllaeid Cestodes from Two Species of Redhorse (Moxostoma)

Two caryophyllaeid tapeworms, lsoglaridacris longus sp. n., and I. folius sp. n., are described from two species of redhorse, namely, Moxostoma macolepidotum and M. erythrurum, respectively. Members of the genus lsoglaridacris appear to be host specific, since the two species mentioned in this study occur in different fish hosts collected from the same rivers. Both I. longus and I. folius appear to exhibit seasonal periodicity, the smallest populations occurring in late summer. Their presence or absence in fish during the winter months, however, is unknown. Infected fish usually harbor a small number of cestodes, generally only a single worm. The annual per cent of infection is 38% for the northern redhorse and 37% for the golden redhorse. Eggs are operculate and oncospheres show well-defined hooks after 17 days. A key to the three known species of the genus lsoglaridacris is presented

Evidence of Double Phonon Excitations in ^{16}O + ^{208}Pb Reaction

The fusion cross-sections for ^{16}O + ^{208}Pb, measured to high precision, enable the extraction of the distribution of fusion barriers. This shows a structure markedly different from the single-barrier which might be expected for fusion of two doubly-closed shell nuclei. The results of exact coupled channel calculations performed to understand the observations are presented. These calculations indicate that coupling to a double octupole phonon excited state in ^{208}Pb is necessary to explain the experimental barrier distributions.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, To be published in the Proceedings of the FUSION 97 Conference, South Durras, Australia, March 1997 (J. Phys. G

Patterns of Duality in N=1 SUSY Gauge Theories

We study the patterns in the duality of a wide class of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories in four dimensions. We present many new generalizations of the classic duality models of Kutasov and Schwimmer, which have themselves been generalized numerous times in works of Intriligator, Leigh and the present authors. All of these models contain one or two fields in a two-index tensor representation, along with fields in the defining representation. The superpotential for the two-index tensor(s) resembles A_k or D_k singularity forms, generalized from numbers to matrices. Looking at the ensemble of these models, classifying them by superpotential, gauge group, and ``level'' -- for terminology we appeal to the architecture of a typical European-style theatre -- we identify emerging patterns and note numerous interesting puzzles.Comment: 34 pages, 4 figures, uses harvmac and table