The attitude of Polish consumers toward food irradiation as one of the methods of food preservation

Abstract

BackgroundFood irradiation is one of the methods of food preservation. Unfortunately, despite many opinions from national and international organizations that confirm the safety of the irradiation technique, the irradiated food market is slowly developing, which is particularly noticeable in European countries, including Poland.ObjectivesThe main objective of this study was to determine the attitude of Polish consumers toward irradiated food and to find out whether familiarizing the respondents with educational materials on the irradiation technique would change their attitudes.Material and methodsIn response to the objective of the study, an online survey (with the presentation of educational materials) was conducted with 609 respondents living in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. A specially prepared author's questionnaire was used, containing questions relating to: sociodemographic data, food preservation, food irradiation. An integral part of the survey was a multimedia presentation containing information about the food irradiation process.ResultsA low level of knowledge about food irradiation was found-−90.31% (n = 550) of the respondents had never heard of this method of preservation before. The percentage of respondents with a positive attitude toward radiation-preserved products increased significantly after providing informative material, from 6.20 (n = 38) to 67.16% (n = 409). The final attitude of the respondents toward irradiated food varied and depended on age, education and place of residence—positive attitudes toward irradiation predominated among those who were young (<30 years old), had a higher education and lived in cities >100,000 inhabitants. Educational materials also had a significant impact on consumers' interest in purchasing irradiated food—the percentage of people declaring a willingness to purchase this type of product increased from 19.20 (n = 117) to 59.30% (n = 361). Almost 60% of the respondents were willing to purchase irradiated foods. Women, on average, were more likely to be interested in purchasing irradiated food compared to men.ConclusionsThe survey indicates that irradiated food could be commercially introduced in Poland, but on the condition that an effective educational program is planned.

Assessment of awareness on consumption of irradiated foods among Saudi population using a validated psychometric scale

“…Previous studies identified several key factors contribute to the lack of knowledge or misconceptions about food irradiation. There is generally low awareness and familiarity among consumers, many of whom have never heard of the process, leading to significant knowledge gaps ( 11 ). Misconceptions about the safety and nutritional quality of irradiated foods are prevalent, often fueled by incorrect beliefs that such foods are radioactive or nutritionally depleted ( 11 ).…”

“…There is generally low awareness and familiarity among consumers, many of whom have never heard of the process, leading to significant knowledge gaps ( 11 ). Misconceptions about the safety and nutritional quality of irradiated foods are prevalent, often fueled by incorrect beliefs that such foods are radioactive or nutritionally depleted ( 11 ). Additionally, insufficient or inappropriate labeling hinders informed consumer choices, as many are unaware of consuming irradiated foods due to lack of clear labeling ( 25 ).…”

“…Consequently, many consumers lack information or hold misconceptions about food irradiation, frequently equating it with radioactivity ( 10 ). Previous research has demonstrated a dearth of consumer knowledge regarding food irradiation, with a significant portion of survey respondents acknowledging their unfamiliarity with irradiated foods ( 11 , 12 ). This deficiency in knowledge has led to a cautious stance among consumers, highlighting the necessity for comprehensive nationwide education on food irradiation technology ( 10 ).…”

Evaluating Factors Explaining U.S. Consumers’ Behavioral Intentions toward Irradiated Ground Beef

“…Teisl et al [29] found the opposite-U.S. consumers had negative attitudes toward food irradiation. When studying Australian consumers, [63] found that attitudes had a direct, positive effect on their intent to accept irradiated foods, and Buczkowska et al [68] found the same thing when studying Polish consumers. Prominent theories of behavior change posit that attitudes directly affect behavior [40] and behavioral intention [60].…”