Evaluating Veal Consumption Hedonism of Consumers by Mediating Effect Model with Risk Factor

Abstract

In recent years, climate change and Covid-19 pandemic have dramatically caused some attitude variation on consumers‘ food consumption preferences. By measuring the impacts on their behaviors of these changes, using as a policy tool is of a great importance. This research was conducted to analyze the total effect of sensory quality and mediating effect with natural risk factor on veal consumption hedonism of consumers in Erzurum province under climate change and Covid-19 epidemic. The main data of the study was consisted of primary data obtained from 385 household in 2021. The data were used in basic effect model to measure the sensory quality effect on consumption hedonism, and then in mediating effect model to determine indirect effects of risk factor playing linking role. The results of the study indicated that sensory quality being of high total effect on consumers‘ veal consumption hedonism in basic effect model explained 64% of total variance. On the other hand, it was determined that sensory quality‘s direct effect on consumption hedonism in mediating effect model with risk factor was lower, but the risk factor‘s indirect effect was meaningful, and had a higher explanation rate than that in basic effect model. In order to be able to increase consumption hedonism, human diets should include consumption based on alternative meat and protein sources of vegetable origin instead of veal consumption. Hygiene decisions minimizing Covid-19 infection risk, moreover, at production and marketing stages of alternative meats should be taken and implemented.