THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN EFFECT AND DESIRED VALUES IN THE PURCHASE OF FRESH PRODUCE BY MALAYSIAN CONSUMERS

For Malaysian consumers, the origin of food is most often associated with food that is Halal, food that has been produced in a way that protects worker welfare and food that has been produced in a way that is good for the environment. Consumers also utilise information about the origin of food to indicate that the food is good value for money. Country-of-origin may also provide an assurance that the food has a good taste and is safe to eat. However, there is little evidence of any association between country-of-origin and food that has a good texture or is healthy and nutritious.