Consumer Acceptance of Food-Safety Treatment in Meat: A Randomized Information Experiment

The study examines whether consumer acceptance of sprayed goat meat differs according to the information consumers receive about the spray. The information treatment conditions are:
• Minimal information: Respondents in this group will receive a brief statement explaining that the study tests the spray’s effect on meat safety and spoilage and that the spray is safe for human consumption and used in other countries to improve meat safety. They are further asked which piece they believe was sprayed. The research assistant will disclose the treated piece before measuring any of the outcome indicators.
• Animation: Respondents in this group will view an animated video explaining that raw meat may contain germs that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. It also informs on how germs from raw meat may cause illness or cross-contaminate other foods, and that this contamination may occur at the slaughterhouse even when butchers handle meat carefully. Then, it mentions that some countries use a safe spray to kill germs and that similar spraying practices are sometimes used on fruits and vegetables in Kenya. After receiving this information, respondents will be asked which piece they believe was sprayed. The research assistant will disclose the treated piece before measuring the outcome indicators.
• Animation-plus-evidence: Here, respondents will receive the same animated video as the animation group. They will additionally be shown a written list and summary of previous research indicating that the spray reduces bacteria on meat and makes it safer to handle and consume. Then, respondents will be asked which piece they believe was sprayed. The research assistant will disclose the treated piece before measuring the outcome indicators.

2026-08-10

2026-10-30

a. Indicator for choosing the treated meat
b. Stated amount willing to pay for one kilogram of treated meat piece
c. Stated amount willing to pay for one kilogram of untreated meat piece
d. Treated-minus-untreated willingness to pay difference
e. Policy support

a. Indicator for choosing the treated meat (Binary): Which cut of meat looks better (after disclosure that the meat was sprayed to the treatment groups; no disclosure to the control group).
b. Stated amount willing to pay for one kilogram of treated meat piece (KES value)
c. Stated amount willing to pay for one kilogram of untreated meat piece (KES value)
d. Treated-minus-untreated willingness to pay difference (KES value)
e. Policy support (Count): Respondents are randomly assigned to receive either a three-item list that excludes the meat decontamination policy or a four-item list that includes this policy. Respondents report only the total number of policies supported and do not identify the individual policies they support.

1. Overview
The study will examine consumer acceptance of a food-safety treatment applied to goat meat. The experiment will involve treated and untreated halves of the same goat carcasses displayed at mock butcheries that are stationed beside actual butcheries. Consumers will be recruited to complete a short survey and will be randomly assigned to different information conditions.
2. Meat treatment identification and tagging procedure
Goats will be purchased and slaughtered according to the standard procedures used at the participating slaughterhouse. Each goat carcass will be divided into two halves.
Within each goat, one carcass half will be randomly assigned to receive the spray treatment, and the other half will serve as the untreated comparison. Randomization will be conducted within the goat so that every treated half is paired with an untreated half from the same animal. For each goat, the left half (from the goat’s perspective) is taken. A coin is flipped, and if it is heads, it gets sprayed, and if it is tails, the other half is sprayed. A randomization sheet with a computer-generated randomization schedule for treated and untreated pieces is provided and will indicate for each carcass whether the treated or untreated side is tagged yellow or blue.
3. Baseline swabbing, treatment, and transport to mock butcheries
Before treatment, each goat half will be swabbed according to the microbiological swabbing protocol (SWAB 1). This measurement is recorded and labelled with the same unique identification code from the tagging procedure. The treated carcass is then sprayed with HOCl and washed with water, following predetermined field protocol. The goat halves will then be transported to the mock butcheries – the sprayed carcasses will be transported in meat boxes cleaned with HOCl and the control carcasses in a typical meat box.
4. Mock butcheries procedures
At each mock butchery, the treated and untreated halves from the same goat will be hung in comparable positions. Immediately after the carcass halves are hung, each half will be swabbed according to the microbiological protocol (SWAB 2). The exact time since treatment will be recorded. A trained research assistant will remove approximately 0.25 kilograms of meat from each carcass half at prespecified intervals. To reduce cross-contamination, separate knives will be assigned to treated and untreated meat, and the research assistant will wash and/or sanitize their hands between handling the two halves. Eight hours after treatment application (i.e after meat-spraying with the treatment), each carcass half will be swabbed again according to the microbiological protocol (SWAB 3).
5. Consumer recruitment
Consumers passing the study location will be approached outside the mock butchery and invited to complete an approximately twenty-minute survey. Before consumers are allowed to participate in the survey, the research assistant will confirm that the individual has not previously completed the survey and provides informed consent.
For every consumer approached, including those who decline to participate in the survey, the research team will record on a paper or electronically, the date, their gender, estimated age or age category, and whether they agree to participate.
6. Consumer randomization
Assignment will occur at the individual level and stratified by mock butchery location. Treatment assignment will be revealed only after the respondent has completed the pretreatment survey questions. A computer-generated randomization schedule will pre-assign eligible respondents to one of four information treatment conditions:
• Pure control: Respondents in this group receive no information about the treated meat before answering any of the primary outcome questions. They are not told that either piece was sprayed, while all three treatment groups are told about spraying and eventually shown which piece was treated.
• Minimal information (see details under intervention)
• Animation (see details under intervention)
• Animation-plus-evidence (see details under intervention)

Not available

Computer-generated randomization

Consumer - Individual

No

1,400 consumers

The study targets 1,400 consumers across Nairobi and Busia counties

Planned at 350 consumers per treatment arm, but can slightly vary