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Informational Shocks and Street-Food Safety: A Field Study in Urban India

Author

Listed:
  • Gianmarco Daniele

    (Bocconi University)

  • Sulagna Mookerjee

    (Binghamton University)

  • Denni Tommasi

    (Monash University)

Abstract

We investigate whether improvements in street-food safety can be achieved by providing information to vendors in the form of a training. Among randomly assigned vendors in Kolkata, India, we find large improvements in knowledge and awareness but little change in observed behavior. We provide two main explanations for these findings. First, information acquisition by itself does not make it significantly easier for vendors to provide customers with safer food options. Second, although consumers have a positive willingness to pay for perceived hygiene, they struggle to distinguish between safe and contaminated food. We recommend policies targeting supply-side constraints and consumers' awareness.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianmarco Daniele & Sulagna Mookerjee & Denni Tommasi, 2021. "Informational Shocks and Street-Food Safety: A Field Study in Urban India," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 103(3), pages 563-579, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:103:y:2021:i:3:p:563-579
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_00913
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    Cited by:

    1. Alexey Chernikov & Klaus Ackermann & Caitlin Brown & Denni Tommasi, 2025. "Leveraging Computer Vision and Visual LLMs for Cost-Effective and Consistent Street Food Safety Assessment in Kolkata India," SoDa Laboratories Working Paper Series 2025-02, Monash University, SoDa Laboratories.
    2. Brown, Caitlin & Tommasi, Denni, 2025. "Quality Upgrading in the Street Food Market: Is Better Equipment and Training Sufficient?," IZA Discussion Papers 18328, IZA Network @ LISER.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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