Perception of food-related risks: Difference between consumers and experts and changes over time

Abstract

Understanding the consumers' perception of food-related risks is important in health and risk communication. Therefore, two surveys were conducted among consumers (n = 2005 in 2009 and n = 1014 in 2018) and experts (n = 62 in 2009 and n = 65 in 2018) in the Netherlands to evaluate their familiarity with and perception of food-related risks related to health, food safety and new technologies. In both surveys (2009 and 2018), experts scored unbalanced diet as highest risk followed by food poisoning, and chemicals formed during preparation. The consumers' risk scoring changed over the years and came more in line with the experts' scoring. Like the experts, consumers scored unbalanced diet as highest food risk in 2018, in contrast with 2009 when environmental contaminants were scored as the highest food risk by the consumers. Consumers perceived chemical risks and risks associated with new technologies significantly higher than experts in both years. Socio-demographic characteristics, like age and gender affected the risk scoring, because older consumers perceived risks higher than younger consumers and women higher than men. Consumers familiarity with the various food risks differed largely, with highest familiarity with the risks food poisoning and unbalanced diet. A shift towards higher risk perception and awareness of the risk of unbalanced diet by consumers is an important factor in fighting food-related diseases. This study provides insight into consumers’ perception of food-related risks, which besides technical-scientific information, is essential to design a clear and targeted health- and risk communication strategy. • Consumers became more aware of unbalanced diet as main food risk in the last decade. • Consumers perceived chemical risks and new technologies significantly higher than experts. • Risk perception increased with age and women perceived risks higher than men. • Consumers showed large differences regarding familiarity with the different food risks.