Consumer acceptance of irradiated food: A study of symbolic adoption

Abstract

Previous research reveals mixed signals regarding the potential for consumer acceptance of irradiated food. Consumer acceptance seems to depend upon the nature and amount of information provided about irradiation. Survey research finds that only about 20–30% of respondents initially express favourable opinions of irradiation with some cautionary signals concerning consumer suspicion of the process and its benefits to the public. Some laboratory experiments and market tests, on the other hand, indicate a willingness of the consumer to accept a high quality, government‐approved product, especially when irradiation is placed within the context of alternative pest and bacteria control treatments. However, these studies fail to provide the consumer with negative information about irradiation.This study examines the relative impact of social persuasion and both favourable and unfavourable information on consumer acceptance of food irradiation. The study takes the approach that consumer acceptance is a social process, wherein acceptance becomes subject to societal approval through word‐of‐mouth conversations. Previous literature suggests that social persuasion, particularly negative social persuasion, should outweigh favourable information on consumer acceptance of a new technology. This proposition is supported by the results of our study, which indicates that responses that were initially favourable to irradiation, especially those opinions formed in the absence of unfavourable information, should be interpreted with caution. The study supports previous research, therefore, suggesting that industry and governmental agencies would benefit from close inspection of societal attitudes towards the food irradiation process.