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Effect of Risk Information Exposure on Consumers’ Responses to Foods with Insect Contamination
Author(s) -
Kimura Atsushi,
Magariyama Yukio,
Miyanoshita Akihiro,
Imamura Taro,
Shichiri Kumiko,
Masuda Tomohiro,
Wada Yuji
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/1750-3841.12331
Subject(s) - contamination , insect , food safety , valuation (finance) , business , environmental health , toxicology , food science , psychology , medicine , biology , ecology , finance
This study explores the impact that scientific information about insect contamination of food has on consumer perceptions. Participants ( n = 320, Japanese consumers) were randomly assigned to 1 of 8 information‐type conditions: (1) information about insect type, (2) information about contamination processes, (3) information about the safety of contaminated food, (4, 5, 6) combinations of 2 of (1), (2), and (3) above, (7) all information, and (8) no‐information, and asked to rate their valuation, behavioral intention, and attitude toward food with insect contamination. Results demonstrated that some combinations of scientific information that include the safety of the contaminated food are effective to reduce consumers’ compulsive rejection of insect contamination in food, whereas the single presentation of information about insect type increases consumers’ explicit rejection of both the contaminated product and the manufacturer. These findings have implications for the coordination of risk communication strategies.