Public perceptions of food-related hazards: Individual and social dimensions

Abstract

In this short review, we address the issue of public perceptions of hazards associated with food consumption and food production. We give a selective account of what we feel to be some of the relevant areas of the risk-perception literature, along with a general interpretation of the strengths and weaknesses of the available research. Our conclusions from this review are that there is a lack of reliable research on public perceptions of food-related hazards despite a wealth of speculation. There exists, however, an established framework within which the assessment of public ‘models’ of risk may be examined but which has been under-exploited in the domain of food attitudes, choice, and preference. We suggest that (i) the denigration of the public in much of the literature is unwarranted, provocative, and ill-conducive to constructive dialogues about risk; (ii) an understanding of public perceptions of risk (including individual and group differences) is a prerequisite for effective risk-communication practice, and (iii) an understanding of public perceptions of food risks requires well-executed empirical research rather than speculation based upon extrapolations from a small number of studies outside the food area.