Abstract
Food safety is a pressing global concern, particularly in developing and emerging economies. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has further heightened consumer attention towards food safety, quality, and maintaining a healthy diet. This study provides insights into consumer awareness and perceptions related to food safety and the origin of beef products, with a specific focus on the impact of COVID-19. It draws comparisons between emerging economies, specifically Albania and Kosovo, where significant food safety challenges exist, and a highly developed economy, Austria. To assess consumer preferences, a discrete choice experiment was conducted, aiming to gauge the significance of various product attributes and consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for specific product features. The study’s findings revealed a strikingly strong sense of consumer patriotism across all surveyed countries. WTP estimates indicated a clear preference for domestically sourced food over imported alternatives. While the COVID-19 pandemic exerted a notable influence, its effects were generally contained. However, respondents from emerging economies perceived the pandemic’s impact to be more severe. Additionally, factors such as risk perception and risk acceptance played a role in shaping the importance of relevant product attributes in all the food markets examined in this study. Furthermore, distinct variations emerged between the countries concerning the importance of food safety standards. For instance, in Albania, the European Union (EU) food safety certificate holds higher utility compared to the national certificate, suggesting a potential lack of trust in national agencies. Notably, low trust in institutions, including those related to food safety, is a common issue in emerging and developing economies. This lack of trust, in turn, influences consumers’ perceptions of personal food safety, given that it is a credence attribute.