Measuring Consumer Benefits of Food Risk Reductions

Values will be elicited using willingness to pay (WTP). WTP is based on economic theory of the consumer, and measures rates of substitution between money and health risk.

It will be estimated using contingent valuation method, in which respondents are presented with a hypothetical good (e.g., the opportunity to reduce the probability of suffering a specified food-borne illness) and questioned about the amount of money they would trade in exchange for the good. WTP values are obtained for various reductions in food risks with differing baseline probability, duration and severity of symptoms, and magnitude of risk reduction.