Extrapolating understanding of food risk perceptions to emerging food safety cases

Abstract

Important determinants of risk perceptions associated with foods are the extent to which the potential hazards are perceived to have technological or naturally occurring origins, together with the acute vs. chronic dimension in which the potential hazard is presented (acute or chronic). This study presents a case study analysis based on an extensive literature review examining how these hazard characteristics affect people's risk and benefit perceptions, and associated attitudes and behaviors. The cases include E. coli incidences (outbreaks linked to fresh spinach and fenugreek sprouts), contamination of fish by environmental pollutants, (organochlorine contaminants in farmed salmon), radioactive contamination of food following a nuclear accident (the Fukushima accident in Japan), and GM salmon destined for the human food chain. The analysis of the cases over the acute vs. chronic dimension suggests that longitudinal quantification of the relationship between risk perceptions and impacts is important for both acute and chronic food safety, but this has infrequently been applied to chronic hazards. Technologies applied to food production tend to potentially be associated with higher levels of risk perception, linked to perceptions that the risk is unnatural. However, for some risks (e.g. those involving biological irreversibility), moral or ethical concerns may be more important determinants of consumer responses than risk or benefit perceptions. (Lack of) trust has been highlighted in all of the cases suggesting transparent and honest risk-benefit communications following the occurrence of a food safety incident. Implications for optimizing associated risk communication strategies, additional research linking risk perception, and other quantitative measures, including comparisons in time and space, are suggested.

Of Sea Lice and Superfood: A Comparison of Regional and National News Media Coverage of Aquaculture

“…Idealized as "natural, " wild-caught fish tend to be perceived as superior in taste and quality to farmed fish, but also, in some cases, as prohibitively expensive (Hall and Amberg, 2013;Schlag and Ystgaard, 2013;Carlucci et al, 2015). Moreover, the increasing use of genetic modification in many forms of aquaculture, such as to create a faster-growing salmon or a triploid (sterile) oyster, can prompt the type of "dread" risk perceptions among public audiences-that is, elevated concern associated with perceived attributes of the hazard, such as lack of control or inequitable distribution of risks and benefits (Slovic, 1987)-associated with other GM foods [e.g., Frewer et al (2002), Schlag (2011), Fabiansson and Fabiansson (2016), Kaptan et al (2016)]. In some regions, stakeholders have challenged the siting of aquaculture operations for disrupting "lived experience, " including access to coastal recreational areas, commercial fishing grounds, or the esthetic qualities of a place (e.g., scenic views) (D' Anna and Murray and D' Anna, 2015).…”

“…Scientific and technological advances over the past three decades stand to make global aquaculture production increasingly environmentally sustainable and economically viable: a source of local employment and affordable protein [e.g., Ross et al (2013)]. Yet, a legacy of environmental and human health concerns, and controversy surrounding siting operations and the use of genetically modified (GM) fish species suggest that perceived risks of aquaculture-for U.S. audiences, in particular-may loom large (Schlag, 2011;Kaptan et al, 2016). For example, just over a decade ago, a handful of highly publicized studies drew global attention to purportedly toxic levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in farmed Atlantic salmon, prompting debate in the news media and beyond about the interpretation of the scientific data, and the implications for human consumption (Hites et al, 2004;Senkowsky, 2004;Amberg and Hall, 2010).…”

Identifying Drivers of Genetically Modified Seafood Demand: Evidence from a Choice Experiment

“…It is common in situations of uncertain origin or outcome that lay peoples' risk perceptions will differ from expert-provided technical risk estimates [39,40]. We know from the works discussed above that this difference in perception hinders the effectiveness of expert provided information meant to alleviate the information asymmetry [41].…”

Application of Microfluidic Chip Technology in Food Safety Sensing

“…In recent years, major food safety incidents have occurred frequently, people are very concerned about the excessive content of metals and additives, pesticide residues and microbial contamination in food, and food safety has become a global topic [1][2][3]. Solving food safety problems requires monitoring the entire process of food production, processing, and distribution from farm to table.…”