Risk perception related to food

Abstract

There is no human activity that is risk free, including those most trivial and essential for survival, such as eating. Various factors impact the risk perception of a population, such as whether the risk is voluntary, known, brings some benefits or whether the information about the risk is provided by sources seen as trusted. Furthermore, regional and cultural aspects, gender and age can also have an impact on risk perception, and the level of scientific knowledge of the individual about the risks has in many cases little impact on the risk perception. In most countries, the perception of consumers to certain risks present in food, including genetically modified organisms (GMO), pesticides and food additives is high, probably due to the lack of confidence on the industry and governmental authorities that are responsible to control the risks. Food that are considered more natural, such as organic food and “GMO free”, are normally perceived as less risky/more healthy. Knowing the perception of the population regarding the risks present in food is essential to design clear and transparent risk communication strategies, which should consider, in addition to scientific information, the subjective aspects that affects the risk perception.

Keywords:
risk perception; food; contaminants; pesticide residues; technology