Consumers and Food Irradiation: Who Decides?
Irradiation will reduce the numbers of foodborne
illnesses reported each year in the United States, however, are consumers
ready for it? That was the basis of Arsen Poghosyan's research for
his master's thesis.
"The results of this study have important implications for not
only food retailers, but also for food industry decision makers and
government officials who assess the market potential for irradiated
food products," Poghosyan wrote.
Among the findings:
-
* Female shoppers are 28 percent more likely to pay more for irradiated
beef than males;
* Shoppers who think improper handling of food contributes to outbreaks
of food poisoning are about nine percent more likely to pay more
for irradiated beef;
* Respondents who trust the food irradiation technology are about
47 percent more likely to pay more than those who do not trust food
irradiation.
* 45.6 percent of the total sample trust the technology and are
willing to pay a premium.
"One in four Americans get a foodborne illness each year,"
said Dr. Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr., associate professor in the department
of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University and committee
chairman of the project."One in 1,000 are hospitalized, and
about $6.5 billion is spent in medical and other costs" fighting
foodborne illnesses.
Food irradiation has been proven effective in reducing pathogens that
cause foodborne illnesses, Nayga said, but some consumers still have
questions about the safety of the technique. Poghosyan set out to
measure consumers' reactions to irradiated foods, as the first phase
of a multi-phased ongoing research project.
Nayga listed food irradiation as a public health and disease-prevention
breakthrough, along with pasteurization of milk, immunization and
chlorination of the public water supply. In addition to killing pathogens
that cause foodborne illnesses - especially those that cause Salmonella,
E. coli O157, Campylobacter, Listeria and Toxoplasma - food irradiation
can also delay ripening and spoilage of fresh fruits and vegetables,
extend the shelf-life of perishable items and commercially sterilize
foods, he said.
Poghosyan's research was done in survey form. "I surveyed grocery
shoppers to evaluate their perceptions about food irradiation, and
their willingness to accept such products and buy them," he wrote.
Three H-E-B supermarkets in each of three Texas cities - Austin, Houston
and San Antonio - were chosen for this survey because they presented
"a broad overview of the population," Nayga said. The interviews
were conducted during the Spring of 2001. A random sample of 100 shoppers
per city were asked a series of questions.
The particular food product chosen for this survey was ground beef,
"because it's a major source of contaminants for foodborne disease"
- the chance of contamination is greater than many other food products
- and about 95 percent of Americans consume ground beef two or three
times a week, Nayga said.
"Production and distribution systems in the supply chain must
comply with consumer demand and regulatory issues such as food safety,"
Poghosyan wrote. "A secondary strategy could be to target and
educate those consumers who are less willing to purchase irradiated
beef products. ©
| |
