title: Effect of information provisioning on attitude toward surgical castration of male piglets and alternative strategies for avoiding boar taint.
abstract: Pork consumers know little about boar taint and the methods used to avoid it. As such, relevant information is necessary to assist consumers to judge the acceptability of different strategies to avoid boar taint. The effect of basic (T1) or extensive (T2) written information or T2 with supplementary audio-visual information (AV) on the opinion concerning immunocastration (IC), raising entire male pigs (EM) and surgical castration with anaesthesia (SA) as compared to castration without anaesthesia (SC) was investigated in a student population. Overall, IC was significantly preferred over SC. The information condition influenced the preference for IC and EM as compared to SC. Participants exposed to AV were more positive to IC than participants exposed to T1 and T2, and more positive to EM than participants exposed to T2. The impact of information condition was not affected by gender, farming experience, knowledge about the boar taint issue or personal relevance of pig welfare. Potential effects of providing background information and media campaigns on public surveys ought to be considered. Supplementary audio-visual information increased the impact of information provisioning.
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, ILVO, Scheldeweg 68, B-9090 Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frank A M
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Tuyttens
authors.forename: Filiep
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vanhonacker
authors.forename: Karolien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Langendries
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aluwé
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Millet
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bekaert
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Verbeke
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000941:ethics; D000818:Animals; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001530:Belgium; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D034421:Sus scrofa; D055815:Young Adult