Consumer cognitive biases arise from judgment and decision-making due to their limitations in information processing. As one of the important cognitive biases, the anchoring effect plays a significant role in interfering with consumers’ risk perception. With a stratified random approach, we collected survey data from 375 consumers in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Based on these data, this study attempted to analyze the anchoring effect in consumers’ risk perception of foodborne diseases (FBDs) and the differences in their perception before and after intervention in a contrast experiment using the anchoring index and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results confirm the existence of the proposed anchoring effect. Moreover, the experimenter-provided anchor value, a history of FBD, and familiarity with FBD were found to be important factors influencing this anchoring effect. Therefore, improving consumers’ risk perception of FBD is critical to the long-term prevention of FBD risks by the government and consumers. The government should strengthen active monitoring, publicity, and education about FBD.

Food safety incidents caused by foodborne diseases is the most prominent food safety problem in the world, and especially in China. In order to analyze consumers’ risk perception of foodborne diseases, the present study has expanded previous work by conducting a survey in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. 834 valid questionnaires were collected. The survey showed that most of the respondents were not familiar with the pathogens. Only 53.24% of the respondents stated that they always separated raw and cooked food during storage and handling. The study provides analysis of individual characteristics who perceived low risk of foodborne diseases, that is, lower education level and lower income. The government should effectively popularize knowledge about food safety, and guide consumers in developing correct eating habits and behaviors, thereby further improving consumers’ understanding and risk perception of foodborne diseases.