Food Protection Trends - January/February 2015 - 33

TABLE 1. Decision factors for purchasing food and beverages
Q7. If and how much do each of the following impact your
purchases when you select foods and beverages at the grocery store?

Strong/Very Strong Impact on Purchase

1. Taste

91.6%

2. How fresh it is

88.2%

3. Is it a good value for the money

84.9%

4. Brand I trust

75%

5. Nutritional value

74.4%

6. What effects it could have on my health

70.8%

7. Are there chemicals in it

63.7%

8. How convenient it is: time saving/easy to prepare

55.6%

9. Where it originated - local, U.S., or country of origin (imported)

52.9%

10. Are there additives in it

51%

11. Are there preservatives in it

49.4%

12. How food is produced (conventional, organic, cage free, free range, etc.)

48.6%

13. What kind of packaging is it in

33.6%

area where respondents said they are unwavering in their
purchasing decisions; a majority of respondents are willing
to change food choices based on concern that a member
of the family has a food allergy, whereas slightly less than
one-fourth of respondents would avoid a product reported
to have traces of a potentially dangerous chemical. In
general, respondents consistently expressed concern about
chemicals in their foods, but this apprehension was fleeting
if consumers felt they could purchase a better tasting, more
convenient, or more affordable product.
The fact that respondents in this study prioritized quality
and affordability of the product over their general anxiety
about chemicals has notable communication consequences.
For example, any consumer advocacy campaign warning
consumers about the presence of a chemical in certain food
products would benefit from considering the influence
on the product's quality or cost. Even if consumers have
an overestimated perception of the potential hazard of
chemical(s) in a food product, other factors may sway them
to continue purchasing and consuming it. Consider the
current example of BPA in metal packaging (cans). While
most of today's popular press and consumer advocacy
groups promote a message of negativity, the canned food
and beverage industry continues to promote the safety,
quality, and efficacy of BPA, perhaps the most persuading
factor for continued consumer tolerance is the fact that

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Both groups share a general concern about the long-term
impact of chemicals in food. The higher literacy group is
better able to distinguish between the roles of chemicals
in the food supply. Both the high and low literacy groups
expressed some concern that, over a long period of time,
some of the chemicals could contribute to health problems
such as cancer. However, neither group provided a clear
definition of what constitutes a "long period of time." Thus,
there was no clear "threshold" described by the participants
as to when a chemical that is intentionally added to
food could be declared safe. By contrast, experienced
toxicologists rarely think of chemical thresholds as relating
to specific (or quantified) exposure duration. Typically,
they think of thresholds in terms of concentrations, levels,
or amounts of exposure to a chemical. This consumer gap in
knowledge may be worth pursuing in future research to help
frame the debate about chemical exposure via food.
The phase two results suggest that this fear of long-term
consequences of consuming chemicals varies by context. As
Slovic (14) predicted, respondents in phase two expressed
general disdain for chemicals, saying that they have a strong
impact on their choices of foods they purchase. Similarly,
respondents stated that they prioritize their family's health
when purchasing food. That said, issues such as cost,
convenience, freshness, and taste frequently offset this
concern about chemicals. Food allergens were the sole

Food Protection Trends

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