Consumer response analysis to use-by date labeling system: Focused on willingness to accept

This study aimed to analyze consumers' behaviors and reactions to the use-by date labeling system and provide policy implications for its efficient implementation, by utilizing 213 consumers data conducted via an Internet survey using the Google online form.We refer "pure consumption date" as the period that have passed sell-by date yet have not passed use-by date.Consumers' willingness to accept (WTA) for pure consumption date food was surveyed, which means the discount ratio of pure consumption date food compared to the original price by sell-by date.Setting the expected effects of use-by date labeling system as five: food waste reduction (waste), food purchasing cost reduction (cost), and international standardization (standard), etc., Tobit regression result showed waste had the greatest (negative) impact on consumer's WTA, while cost and standard had positive impact on consumer's WTA.The logistic regression result revealed that consumers trying to reduce grocery costs have higher probability to purchase use-by date labeling food, and further expect higher WTA.Also consumers valuing the importance of environmental protection or food quality are more likely to purchase use-by date food.Conversely consumers valuing food safety importance tend to have negative impact on purchasing use-by date food, hence expect higher WTA.It is noteworthy that consumers valuing the importance of promoting the use-by date labeling system have significantly higher probability of purchasing use-by date food.Additionally, consumers' WTA averaged 54.3%, implying that consumers are willing to purchase use-by date food when it is discounted more than 54.3% from the original price, where women expect higher WTA, the aged over 60 expect higher WTA, furthermore single-parent households expect 21.3% higher than the average WTA.However, old-aged, unmarried women, higher educated and higher income groups were negative in purchasing use-by date food.These results suggest that customized sales policy and effective promotion strategies reflecting socio-demographic characteristics of consumers would be necessary to achieve effective implementation of the newly introduced system.