Quality in the pork verticum

Nábrádi, András

Keywords: quality, quality expenditure, quality categories, economically optimal quality, value chain

The importance of quality product production and of improving quality can be heard often and from many quarters, however fewer specify what exactly should be improved and what level of production quality is appropriate, because differing quality categories exist within the value chain process. Opinions differ between producer and processor and may be completely different again when it comes to the distributor. The final “quality controller” is in the end the consumer. The question is simply the extent to which consumer value judgements appear at earlier stages of the value chain, and who can do or does do something in the interests of improving quality. At the same time, questions related to the costs of quality and to economically optimal quality remain virtually unexplored. This study raises issues within the pork verticum, but similar and more detailed investigations are also needed in the other animal breeding sectors. There is good reason to handle the quality categories of animal products in a complex manner, as this is the only way to more fully meet consumer expectations and thereby solvent demand within various elements of the value chain.

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