Neal H. Hooker

Repeated recalls are an important issue impacting public health and the food industry. Survival functions are used to investigate the timing of repeated recalls and double hurdle regression models explore factors influencing the probability of repeated recalls and the number of repeated recalls in the US meat and poultry industry between 2003 and 2019. Findings suggest that 25% of recalls are repeated and the average period between recalls is 1340 days (3.67 years). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis results suggest that the number of repeats and similar reasons for recalls significantly impact survival functions but no statistically significant differences were seen across plant sizes. Regression results suggest that product type (processed vs. fresh products) had no significant impact on the probability of a repeated recall but a significant positive impact on the number of repeats. Extraneous material contamination positively influenced the probability of a repeated recall but negatively influenced the number of repeats. The scope of marketing (depth and breadth) had a significant positive impact on the probability of a repeated recall but had no significant impact on the number of repeats. Large plants are more likely to experience a repeated recall and a greater number of repeats. Considering market failures in the provision of safe food, government detection is an important way to discover food safety problems. The results show that government detection of problems is effective in reducing the probability of a repeated recall and the number of repeats. Based on these findings, we draw policy and management implications for the government and plants to avoid repeated recalls. [EconLit Citations: M11, Q13].

International markets are an important destination and source of U.S. organic agri-food products. This paper offers new insights concerning the current status and trends of U.S. organic imports and exports U.S. policies relevant to the international trade of U.S. organic agri-food products are described, characterizing specific products and partners. In addition, the impact of organic equivalency agreements (OEAs), which the U.S. has signed with Canada, the EU, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland, are examined to determine the extent to which they facilitate trade. Using highly disaggregated international trade data (HS-10) from the U.S. International Trade Commission and Statistics Canada, this analysis finds that fresh agricultural products dominate both U.S. exports and imports. Between 2017 and 2019, apples grapes, strawberries and spinach were the predominant fresh exports, while tomato sauces, vinegar and roasted coffee are the most exported processed food products. A significant majority of these exports are destined for Canada and Mexico. The most imported organic agri-food products include unroasted coffee, bananas, olive oil and soybeans. There is much more diversity in the country of origin of these imports with Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Spain and Argentina among the major organic food suppliers to the U.S. OEAs allow for mutual recognition of national organic standards between countries. This analysis finds that, while, in aggregate, OEAs were not found to impact U.S. organic imports or exports, results evaluating individual agreements do suggest that they can be effective trade policy instruments. In particular, the U.S.–Canada and the U.S.–Switzerland OEAs were found to be effective in facilitating U.S. exports. Taken together these findings offer important insights into current trade patterns, and U.S. international market and organic policy opportunities.

In August 2008, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a new policy that required publication of a list of retail consignees for meat and poultry products part of Class I recalls, those with the greatest potential impact on public health. This study uses two recall effectiveness measures (recovery rate and completion time) and a difference-in-difference method to examine the effects of retailer disclosure. When controlling for factors previously determined to impact recall effectiveness including product type, reasons for recall, the amount of food recalled, plant size and the way the problem was discovered no statistically significant impact on recall effectiveness was discerned under the disclosure policy. Bacterial recalls had higher recovery rates. Larger recalls had lower recovery rates and longer completion times. Recalls issued by very small plants had lower recovery rates. Compared to other stakeholders, government agency discovery of the problem was associated with lower recovery rates. Compared to the pre 2008 period, recover rates declines and completion times significantly increased after the implementation of the retailer disclosure policy. As the Food and Drug Administration considers a similar retailer disclosure policy for foods regulated under the Food Safety Modernization Act, such lessons from USDA's experiences should inform the policy debate.

Qualified health claims (QHC) describe diet–disease relationships and summarize the quality and strength of evidence for a claim. Companies assert that QHCs increase sales and take legal action to ensure claims reflect their interests. Yet, there is no empirical evidence that QHCs influence consumers. Using green tea as a case study, this study investigated the effects of QHCs on purchase intentions among adults 55 years and older living in the US. An online survey using a between-subjects design examined QHCs about the relationship between green tea and the reduced risk of breast and/or prostate cancer or yukichi fruit juice and the reduced risk of gastrocoridalis, a fictitious relationship. QHCs written by a green tea company generated greater perceptions of evidence for the relationship, greater confidence in green tea and cancer, and increased purchase intentions for green tea than other QHCs. Factors that mitigated the claim’s effects on purchase intentions are: Race/ethnicity; age; importance of health claims; supplement use; health; worry about health/becoming sick with cancer; worry that led to dietary change; green tea consumption; and familiarity with the green tea–cancer. Consumers who made health-related dietary change in the past year and consider health claims important indicated greater purchase intentions than others.

Food recalls need to balance speed and completeness, consumer and firm interests and thus meet managerial and social goals. Effective recalls play a vital role in protecting public health and reducing economic consequences. This paper develops a simultaneous equation model to explore the relationships among three effectiveness indicators; discovery time, completion time and recovery rate. A three-stage least square estimator is applied to control for endogeneity among these indicators. The results suggest that higher recovery rates are associated with shorter discovery times. Longer discovery times led to longer completion times. Longer completion times elicited higher recovery rates. Recalls with high risk to human health had shorter discovery times but longer completion times and lower recovery rates. Recalls issued by large plants had shorter discovery times. Large recalls and national distribution channels negatively impacted discovery times. Compared to other stakeholders, government agencies took longer to discover the problem leading to a recall.

This paper presents a simulation process to augment nutrition surveillance in the United States which incorporates product innovation data. Traditional point‐estimates of nutritional quality in a food category are compared to those based on distributions of nutrient compositions using product‐level variability seen in the market. Nationally representative consumption patterns provide dietary intakes. Cookies are used as an example food category. Nutrient composition data from Global New Product Database (GNPD) for 5259 cookies launched 2005 to 2012 were matched to dietary intakes from 2005 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) over the 2 y cycles of NHANES for 8284 cookie consumers. Average dietary intakes from traditional NHANES and GNPD‐based estimations produced similar mean values for energy, carbohydrates, sugars, total fat, and protein. Saturated fat, fiber and cholesterol contributions using new product compositions were significantly higher than traditional NHANES approaches, estimates of sodium were significantly lower. These differences become pronounced when comparing adult and child consumption patterns and over time. This process also simulated trans fat consumption estimates not traditionally available within NHANES. On average cookies contributed 0.3 g/d (range 0 to 4.1 g/d). Much variability in food composition is seen in the market which is shown to influence estimates of the national diet. Practical Application: Numerous factors drive changes in the food supply, including health trends, firm strategic choices, and food policy. This evolution presents a challenge for dietary assessments and nutrition monitoring. The public health impact of variability in nutritional composition, subpopulation consumption patterns and market dynamics are particularly difficult to evaluate and are shown to influence estimates of the national diet.

Dietary patterns and food security is considered in four ways: Healthy Eating Index (HEI), food category consumption patterns, energy/macronutrient contributions of food categories, and sub‐category caloric intake accounting for consumption patterns. 2005–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data were grouped by What We Eat in America food sub‐categories. Of the 20,363 adults, 14,592 were high (71.7%), 2,125 marginal (10.4%), 2,317 low (11.4%), and 1,329 very low food secure (6.5%). High food secure adults have higher HEI in total and each sub‐measure (including refined grains and empty calories). Consumption frequency in most food categories declines with food insecurity. As food insecurity deepens so more energy and carbohydrates are attributable to nonalcoholic beverages. Evidence of the negative dietary impact of sweetened beverages in particular for food insecure adults is presented. Very few differences in dietary patterns emerge, suggesting broad societal level policy combined with targeted sub‐category and nutrition education initiatives.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how socio-economic and institutional factors impact UK food retailers’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies as revealed in corporate communications and product marketing. Building on institutional theory, the authors empirically examine whether discourse in CSR reports aligns with commercial strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Employing a mixed method approach the authors quantify quotes related to key CSR themes in annual reports and claims on new private label products launched in nine key product categories using information from Mintel’s Global New Products Database. These measures are grouped into eight distinct CSR themes across seven retailers and seven years (2006-2012). Findings: Health and safety and environment are the leading themes in both data sets. Animal welfare, community and biotechnology and novel foods take the middle ground with differing use across reports and products. Fair trade, labor and human resources and procurement and purchasing are the least commonly described themes in reports and on products. Retailers focus on different CSR themes in reports and new products, which may be evidence of competitive rather than pre-competitive strategies. Research limitations/implications: This research shows that UK food retailers CSR strategies between 2006 and 2012 were more competitive than pre-competitive, which is in line with theory that suggests economic pressures decrease incentives to cooperate. However, this research is limited to innovation data and analysis of CSR reports. A more complete analysis would need to consider sales or consumption data, wider sources of corporate communications and independent measures of social, environmental and economic impact. The authors’ findings caution policy makers to be wary of retailers commitments to voluntary agreement pledges, particularly when the competitive environment and economic conditions are more challenging. Practical implications: Firms are increasingly pressured to contribute to social and environmental domestic and international commitments. Business should enhance coordination between CSR offices and commercial divisions to develop more consistent and effective social responsibility programs. Originality/value: This is the first attempt to compare the evolution of CSR discourse and marketing strategy over time and across businesses in a key retail market.