Brazilian consumer views on food irradiation

This study investigated the consumer attitude to food irradiation in São Paulo, Brazil, through a qualitative research perspective. Three focus groups were conducted with 30 consumers, responsible for food choices and purchases. Both irradiated and nonirradiated food samples were served in the sessions to motivate the discussion and elicit the participants´ knowledge, opinions, feelings and concerns towards the irradiation process. Reactions were similar among the groups and differences between the irradiated and the nonirradiated samples were hardly perceived. When provided with positive information about irradiation and its benefits to foods and human health, many people still remained suspicious about the safety of the technology. Risk perception seemed to be related to unease and lack of knowledge about nuclear power and its non-defense use. Participants claimed for more transparency in communication about risks and benefits of irradiated foods to the human health, especially with respect to the continued consumption.Industrial relevanceIrradiation is an emerging food processing technology, which has been gaining interest by food technologists, producers and manufacturers all over the world in the last decades. Irradiation is suitable for disinfestation, microorganism load reduction or sterilization, assuring the safety, as well as having benefits in the shelf-life of foodstuffs.Food irradiation is approved in many countries and its use in food processing is endorsed by several reputed authorities, such as FAO and USDA. Despite the approval and recommendation, this technology still remains underutilized not only in Brazil, but also in other countries. The main reason appears to be the consumer concerns and doubts about the use of radiations in food processing. To develop communication strategies in promotion of irradiated foods it is necessary to investigate consumer attitudes, knowledge, opinions, as well as fears, with respect to the use of radiation in food processing.It is well-known that consumer views on technology may vary from a culture to another. So, findings from consumer research in a country may certainly not reflect the consumer views in other countries. In this sense, Brazilian studies focused on consumer views on food irradiation are necessary to gain understanding on how the local market accepts the technology. Brazil is one of the most important food producers in the world and an emerging consumer market with a population of about 184 million people. Food irradiation is regulated in Brazil since 1973, but to date only a few food ingredients are subjected to irradiation. The wide use of irradiation in food processing would favor Brazilian producers in the quality and safety assurance of food products, both for the local market and for exports.     

Water quality concerns and acceptance of irradiated food: a pilot study on Mexican consumers

BACKGROUND: Poor quality irrigation water is a major cause of disease transmission for urban inhabitants consuming fresh produce in many developing countries. Irradiation of food is an alternative approach to reducing health risks for consumers, but its implementation depends heavily on consumer acceptance. RESULTS: In this pilot study, we show that most respondents consider the water quality of Mexico City to be poor and a health risk, and would be willing to pay for irradiated food as a means of pasteurizing fresh iceberg lettuce. CONCLUSION: Irradiated food could, potentially, be accepted in developing countries that have problems with water quality. Such acceptance would presumably be due to the perception that such a novel technology would (1) alleviate water impairment, and (2) lead to economic improvement. It is then possible that the public considers that water quality is a more pressing concern than any potential side effects of food irradiation. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

“As long as it is not irradiated” – Influencing factors of US consumers’ acceptance of food irradiation

Innovative microbial decontamination strategies, such as food irradiation or treatment of foods with protective cultures, offer solutions for today’s food industry to produce safe food with appropriate shelf-life and quality. However, consumers frequently exhibit strong aversions towards highly processed foods and unfamiliar and artificially-sounding food technologies. This paper aimed at examining consumers’ quality perceptions of foods treated with different decontamination strategies and linking these findings to the theoretical assumptions of the affect heuristic in two online studies with US consumers (study 1: N = 184, study 2: N = 65). The main finding from study 1 was that the label “treated with food irradiation” had a detrimental effect on consumers’ quality perception of different foods, while “treated with food ionization” did to a lesser degree, despite being another term for the identical decontamination strategy. The suggestion that this detrimental effect origins in negative affect and associations raised by the term “food irradiation,” was substantiated in study 2. Consumers, who have negative feelings towards nuclear power, perceive irradiated foods as lower in quality, perceived less benefits and more risks associated with food irradiation and exhibit lower overall acceptance of this technology. The findings of the two studies are discussed in light of recommendations for the food industry and regulation. This study stresses the importance of consulting with social science ahead of the implementation of a new food technology.     

Consumer awareness and acceptance of irradiated foods: Results of a survey conducted on Turkish consumers

Consumer awareness and acceptance, and influence of benefit statements and price on acceptance of irradiated foods were investigated in Turkey. Consumer awareness of food irradiation was very low (29%). Majority of consumers (80%) were uncertain about the safety of irradiated foods. Only 11% expressed irradiated foods are safe. Level of positive attitude towards irradiated foods increased substantially (62%) upon hearing a benefit statement of food irradiation. Purchase intent of irradiated foods was highest (44%) when price is same as unirradiated foods, but significant proportion of consumers indicated to pay 5% premium price for irradiated foods. A successful market for irradiated foods can be achieved by educating consumers with the benefit and uses of irradiation process.     

The role of time constraints in consumer understanding of health claims

The growing market for healthy foods has contributed to increased interest in communicating the health-related benefits of food products. Health claims are becoming an increasingly used instrument to communicate such benefits. In the European Union, consumer understanding of health claims was set as condition for use in order to protect consumers against misleading claims. However, consumer understanding has received little attention compared to consumer perceptions of claims. Consumers only have limited time in a normal shopping situation, which can impact the meanings they attach to claims. This study’s aim was to examine the effect of time constraints on consumer understanding of health claims and the potential link between understanding and intention to buy. A survey conducted among respondents in Denmark (N = 1483) used a time constraint manipulation and varied the health claim shown to respondents when assessing consumer understanding. The results showed that consumers’ objective understanding is lower under time constraint. Specific inferences were associated with increased intention to buy. Implications for public policy and food industry are discussed.     

POTENTIAL FUTURE CHALLENGES TO THE APPLICATION OF GAMMA IRRADIATION TO SEAFOOD IN TUNISIA

There is an increasing consumer demand for high quality, minimally processed, additive-free and microbiologically safe foods. The future application of irradiation to the seafood industry is developing. In order to investigate the feasibility of using gamma irradiation in the fish and seafood industry, questionnaires were distributed to the managers of 25 fish exporting companies. The cost of irradiation and the additional transport services were discussed and mostly accepted. This survey showed that essential conditions are to be found in Tunisia to introduce irradiation technology into the exporting seafood industry. However, the legal status of seafood irradiation varies in some importing countries (mainly European Union [EU]). Regulators within the EU have taken different approaches to allowing processors to use this technology. Such inconsistency is related to the objection of misinformed consumers. Consequently, commercial trade of irradiated seafood could be impeded.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This article provides evidence of the importance of industry managers' role in the food chain when testing the feasibility of a new process. Fish shelf-life extension using gamma irradiation is an emerging technology that presents many advantages to all food chain components and allows international trade requirements to be met. The seafood export industry in Tunisia shows the technological need for such a process. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that the economic cost of irradiation in Tunisia is acceptable and that it could enhance fish export capacity. However, the legal status of fish irradiation in the import countries, mainly the European Union, should be modernized in order to assure the feasibility of irradiated fish export from Tunisia.     

Food irradiation‐chemistry and applications∗

Abstract

Food irradiation is one of the most extensively and thoroughly studied methods of food preservation. Despite voluminous data on safety and wholesomeness of irradiated foods, food irradiation is still a “process in waiting.” Although some countries are allowing the use of irradiation technology on certain foods, its full potential is not recognized. Only 37 countries worldwide permit the use of this technology. If used to its full potential, food irradiation can save millions of human lives being lost annually due to food‐borne diseases or starvation and can add billions of dollars to the world economy. This paper briefly reviews the history and chemistry of food irradiation along with its main applications, impediments to its adoption, and its role in improving food availability and health situation, particularly in developing countries of the world.     

南京市消费者对转基因食品认知情况的研究——基于信息传递视角

转基因食品是人们生活中难以回避的问题.了解消费者对于转基因食品的认知情况,对于转基因食品管理和宣传具有重要作用.国内外学者对消费者的认知态度进行了大量研究,但针对信息传递导向的研究还很少见.本文根据南京市实地调查资料,重点从转基因食品信息传递角度对转基因消费认知情况进行研究,调查发现,南京市消费者对转基因食品有一定的认知度,但对转基因食品接受和购买采取了较为谨慎、理性的态度;转基因信息内容属性、传播载体和转基因食品的不同特性都会影响消费者对转基因食品认知情况.     

Country-wise differences in perception of health-related messages in cereal-based food products

The objective of the present study was to explore the impact of health-related messages on the perceived overall healthiness and consumers’ likelihood to buy cereal-based products or non-cereal products containing beneficial compounds from grains, across four European countries. The data were collected from a sample of 2392 members of the public in Finland, Germany, Italy and the UK. The results from a conjoint task with a main effects additive model were reported. In general, the presence of a verbal health claim on foods had positive influence on respondents perception of healthiness and on likelihood to buy the products, whereas the pictorial health claims were found to have a weak influence on the two dependent variables. However, the findings showed that health-related information on food labels differently influenced the healthiness perception and the likelihood to buy the product across the four countries, suggesting that different cultures, traditions, and eating habits have to be taken into account before positioning cereal-based products containing beneficial compounds from grains on the market.     

Sensory acceptability and willingness to buy foods presented as having benefits achieved through the use of nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a small scale (1-billionth of a meter). Nanomaterials have been used extensively in food production and packaging to improve food safety and eating quality. However, consumer knowledge of nanotechnology is low and the public’s perceptions about its use in foods is poorly understood. This study assessed consumers’ knowledge and attitudes towards food nanotechnology, and measured degree of liking and purchase intent for tasted foods presented as having specific nanotechnology benefits. Participants were 161 young, mostly college-educated adults. They evaluated samples of fresh cherry tomatoes and chocolate ice cream for overall liking and liking of key attributes using 15-cm line scales. They were informed that the first sample of each food had no nanotechnology (control), but the subsequent samples were produced with nanotechnology materials. For the tomatoes, nanoparticles were added to the packaging as an anti-microbial or to extend freshness; for the ice cream, nanoparticles were incorporated into the food matrix to deliver probiotics or reduce icing. In reality, no foods were produced with nanotechnology. Participants also completed surveys on their food attitudes and knowledge of nanotechnology. Results showed that all the samples were highly liked, regardless of whether they claimed to deliver nanotechnology benefits. In addition, most (75–86%) participants were willing to buy the nanotechnology foods; the primary reasons being “sensory appeal” and “nanotechnology benefit” (p < 0.01). These results show that a majority of young, educated consumers had positive attitudes towards foods with nanotechnology and were willing to buy them.     

Food irradiation

Food irradiation has become a matter of topical interest also in the Federal Republic of Germany following applications for exemptions concerning irradiation tests of spices. After risks to human health by irradiation doses up to a level sufficient for product pasteurization were excluded, irradiation now offers a method suitable primarily for the disinfestation of fruit and decontamination of frozen and dried food. Codex Alimentarius standards which refer also to supervision and dosimetry have been established; they should be adopted as national law. However, in the majority of cases where individual countries including EC member-countries so far permitted food irradiation, these standards were not yet used. Approval irradiation technique for industrial use is available. Several industrial food irradiation plants, partly working also on a contractual basis, are already in operation in various countries. Consumer response still is largely unknown; since irradiated food is labelled, consumption of irradiated food will be decided upon by consumers.     

The Irish organic food market: shortfalls, opportunities and the need for research

In 2009 the Irish organic food market was forecasted to grow from €120 m to €239 m by 2013; however, recent figures set its value at just €90 m. An estimated 70% of this market is imported. Surveys of Irish consumers reveal that 66% of consumers prefer to buy local produce and most organic consumers are buying organic at supermarkets. This evidence reveals that Irish producers must trade at supermarkets, and promote ‘local produce’ to ensure their produce reach the majority of buyers. Seventy‐eight % of organic rejecters state price and 21% state unawareness of the benefits as reasons for not buying organic. Many Irish consumers are buying organic food on the perceived belief that it is healthier, safer and tastes better; however, a review of studies on organic versus conventional foods in terms of health benefits, safety and sensory quality has shown that existing data is limited in scope and fails to show a clear trend. The review concludes with the need for a comprehensive study of a range of organic and conventional foods available to the Irish consumer in order to determine if differences in organic cultivation result in statistically significant differences in health linked compounds and sensory quality. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Lactic Acid Bacteria as a Cell Factory for the Delivery of Functional Biomolecules and Ingredients in Cereal-Based Beverages: A Review

In this review, we aim to describe the mechanisms by which LAB can fulfil the novel role of efficient cell factory for the production of functional biomolecules and food ingredients to enhance the quality of cereal-based beverages. LAB fermentation is a safe, economical, and traditional method of food preservation foremost, as well as having the additional benefits of flavor, texture, and nutrition amelioration. Additionally, LAB fermentation in known to render cereal-based foods and beverages safe, in a chemical-free, consumer-friendly manner, from an antinutrient and toxigenic perspective.

Huge market opportunities and potential exist for food manufacturers who can provide the ideal functional beverage fulfilling consumer needs. Newly developed fermented cereal-based beverages must address markets globally including, high-nutrition markets (developing countries), lifestyle choice consumers (vegetarian, vegan, low-fat, low-salt, low-calorie), food-related non-communicable disease sufferers (cardiovascular disease, diabetes), and green label consumers (Western countries). To fulfil these recommendations, a suitable LAB starter culture and cereal-based raw materials must be developed. These strains would be suitable for the biopreservation of cereal beverages and, ideally, would be highly antifungal, anti-mycotoxigenic, mycotoxin-binding and proteolytic (neutralize toxic peptides and release flavor-contributing amino acids) with an ability to ferment cereals, whilst synthesizing oligosaccharides, thus presenting a major opportunity for the development of safe cereal-based prebiotic functional beverages to compete with and replace the existing dairy versions.     

Complementarity of implicit and explicit attitudes in predicting the purchase likelihood of visually sub-optimal or optimal apples

Consumers are faced with daily choices on what foods to buy and eat. Visual characteristics of foods evoke in consumers both positive and negative attitudes, depending on the level of visual optimality or sub-optimality. These attitudes also play a critical role in purchase decision making. In this study we examined the food decision-making process and the extent to which explicit and implicit measures of visual optimality can predict purchase likelihood. In an online study with 608 Swedish consumers, we performed an implicit association test and used a questionnaire to measure consumers’ explicit attitudes and purchase likelihood for optimal and sub-optimal apples. We also assessed the temporal stability of purchase likelihood in a re-test performed three weeks after the first test. The results showed that both explicit and implicit measures had predictive validity, but that the explicit measure was better in predicting when consumers would buy apples, while the implicit measure was better in predicting when consumers would reject apples. It was clear that consumers preferred visually optimal apples, but visually sub-optimal apples were not entirely rejected and the purchase likelihood remained stable throughout the experiment. We applied these results to draw up some recommendations on approaches to generate consumer acceptance and adoption of visually sub-optimal food products.     

What Do We Know About Chain Actors’ Evaluation of New Food Technologies? A Systematic Review of Consumer and Farmer Studies

New food technologies, such as genetic modification, food fortification, and processing technologies, are of growing interest for future food security and safety. For ensuring successful implementation of such technologies, consumers and other food supply chain actors should embrace them. We present a systematic review to identify and compare key factors of supply chain actors’ evaluation of new food technologies. Evaluation encompasses indicators such as likelihood or intention to perform a behavior, perceived benefits/risks, willingness to pay, acceptance/adoption, and attitudes. Results from 183 studies showed several imbalances in research. Although studies mainly focused on (1) genetically modified foods, (2) by consumers, (3) in developed countries, only very few studies have targeted other food technologies, other supply chain actors such as farmers (13 studies) or processors (two studies), or developing countries (43 studies). With respect to consumers’ evaluation, key determinants were trust in institutions, information assessment, perceived risks and benefits, attitudes toward the product or technology, perceived behavioral control, quality perception of the product, and impact on health. Farmers’ evaluation of new food technologies was explained by the factors of perceived risk and benefits and of actual source of information. For the few processor evaluation studies, no convergence of factors could be reached. This systematic review contributes to a better understanding of consumers’ and farmers’ evaluation behavior and opens up avenues for future research on supply chain actors’ food technology evaluations. The differences in the conceptualization and measurement of extracted factors demonstrate the need for standardized approaches in future studies.     

GM food and neophobia: connecting with the gatekeepers of consumer choice

Resistance to importation of genetically modified (GM) foods in rich countries has deterred governments in many food‐exporting countries from approving the planting of GM food crops for fear of damaging export markets for conventional food. Apart from governments that have actively imposed barriers to entry, another level of resistance can arise from food distribution channel members deciding not to import foods which they believe consumers in their markets will not want. GM foods fall in this category in some markets, particularly in Europe. In China and India, the two most populous consumer markets, pragmatic considerations appear likely to overcome neophobia regarding this technology, provided that benefits are adequately communicated to consumers. Choice‐modelling experiments show that the same may well be true in Europe. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Comparison in Use of the 9-Point Hedonic Scale between Americans, Chinese, Koreans, and Thai

Understanding cross-cultural sensory acceptance differences are essential for developing successful products for international markets. The most common scale for acceptance testing is the 9-point hedonic scale that was developed in the United States (US) by Peryam and Pilgrim (1957)Food Technology, 11, 9–14. The objectives of this research were to compare the usage of the 9-point hedonic scale between American, Korean, Chinese and Thai consumers, as well as to examine if there were significant differences in preference between consumers of the same culture residing in the US and their country of origin. A total of 575 respondents were recruited from eight respondent cells including two from the US and six from three Asian ethnic groups (Korean, Chinese, and Thai) with two locations (residing in United States and their country of origin). All respondents evaluated sample pairs using 9-point hedonic scales translated directly from English into their respective languages. Each respondent evaluated various foods on the 9-point hedonic scale and chose the most preferred among sample pairs. Food samples were selected to cover the full range of hedonic ratings for each culture. Results indicate that Chinese, Korean, and Thai respondents use the 9-point hedonic scale differently from American respondents, irrespective of residency in the US or length of stay. These ethnic groups use a smaller range of the 9-point hedonic scale than Americans. Moreover, there were no significant differences in food preferences for Thai and Korea consumers residing in the US or their native countries. Observed differences in food preferences among Chinese residing in the US vs. Taiwan were possibly attributed to the diverse sampling of Chinese selected in the US that were not all representative of Chinese consumers from Taiwan. Additionally, length of stay in the US did not significantly affect food preference among these ethnic groups.     

Consumer acceptance of irradiated meat and poultry in the United States.

Food manufacturers in the United States are currently allowed to irradiate raw meat and poultry to control microbial pathogens and began marketing irradiated beef products in mid-2000. Consumers can reduce their risk of foodborne illness by substituting irradiated meat and poultry for nonirradiated products, particularly if they are more susceptible to foodborne illness. The objective of this study was to identify the individual characteristics associated with willingness to buy irradiated meat and poultry, with a focus on five risk factors for foodborne illness: unsafe food handling and consumption behavior, young and old age, and compromised immune status. A logistic regression model of willingness to buy irradiated meat or poultry was estimated using data from the 1998-1999 FoodNet Population Survey, a single-stage random-digit dialing telephone survey conducted in seven sites covering 11% of the U.S. population. Nearly one-half (49.8%) of the 10,780 adult respondents were willing to buy irradiated meat or poultry. After adjusting for other factors, consumer acceptance of these products was associated with male gender, greater education, higher household income, food irradiation knowledge, household exposure to raw meat and poultry, consumption of animal flesh, and geographic location. However, there was no difference in consumer acceptance by any of the foodborne illness risk factors. It is unclear why persons at increased risk of foodborne illness were not more willing to buy irradiated products, which could reduce the hazards they faced from handling or undercooking raw meat or poultry contaminated by microbial pathogens.     

REGULATORY AND TOXICOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF FOOD IRRADIATION

A major difficulty with food irradiation from a regulatory point of view is that it is related to many food issues, such as safety, labeling and consumer acceptance. Food that is intentionally irradiated is judged to be adulterated under current law unless there is a regulation for such use. As a first step in the rulemaking process, the Bureau of Foods has developed criteria useful for evaluating the safety of irradiated food by considering present knowledge in radiation chemistry and toxicity testing. These criteria will be used for evaluating existing toxicology studies and for developing policy on food irradiation.