Characterizing Beef Consumption Behaviors of Households in Dien Bien Province, Vietnam

The basket of meat consumption has changed during the last decade in Vietnam, including increased consumption of beef. This paper analyzes the beef consumption behaviors of households in Dien Bien province, located in Northwest Vietnam. Data were collected from a survey of 108 consumers and three focus group discussions. It was evident that the preferences of beef consumers were varied between different ethnic groups. The important criteria used in selecting meat were color, freshness, and tenderness. Consumers mentioned, but had little concern, for meat packaging, nutritional information, or quality certification, while they showed almost no concern for animal welfare in purchasing beef. As the consumers’ choice of purchasing beef was very much influenced by meat appearance, improving the conditions of butcher counters is suggested as an immediate measure. There exists an opportunity to introduce ‘cold’ beef widely as a longer-term measure.