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Food Irradiation (food + irradiation)
Selected AbstractsThe Relationship between Attitudes, Knowledge, and Demographic Variables of High School Teachers Regarding Food IrradiationJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2007B.M. Thompson ABSTRACT:,The purpose of this study was to use a validated instrument to determine the attitudes and knowledge of high school teachers regarding food irradiation, and to determine the correlations among their knowledge and attitudes and certain demographic variables. Knowledge and attitudes about food irradiation were measured in selected high school family and consumer sciences teachers (n= 121) who taught Food and Nutrition, Food Science and Technology, and/or Food Production Management and Services, via a 24-item instrument with 6 factors. Results revealed these teachers held neutral to positive attitudes about the safety of irradiated foods, their perception of the risk of foodborne illness, and learning about food irradiation, and neutral to negative perceptions of their understanding of food irradiation and their competence to teach about it. These teachers had a moderate knowledge base regarding food irradiation. Teachers' attitudes regarding the safety of food irradiation were positively correlated with their perceived understanding of food irradiation, actual knowledge of it, and competence to teach about it. Their perceived understanding of food irradiation was positively correlated with competence to teach about it, knowledge, and attitudes toward the safety of food irradiation. The only demographic variable correlated with knowledge or attitudes was teachers' previous food irradiation educational experiences. These data suggest the importance of education for family and consumer sciences teachers concerning food irradiation. [source] PERCEPTION OF IRRADIATED FOODS AMONG STUDENTS (SECONDARY, UNIVERSITY [FOOD SCIENCE AND NONFOOD SCIENCE]) AND ADULTS IN ARGENTINAJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, Issue 3 2008ALEJANDRA FLORES ABSTRACT A survey on beliefs and purchase intent of irradiated foods was conducted among 300 Argentine students, covering secondary/high school, food science and nonfood science university, and 100 nonstudent adults. Other factors considered were the type of information provided (introductory, process description and benefits) and the city of residence (small agricultural city and big city). The most important benefits were considered to be microorganism reduction and improved sanitation. On the other hand, insecurity and doubts were the main reasons why respondents would not buy these foods. Only 14% said they would definitely buy irradiated foods. Considering their doubts and insecurities, it is probable that if these respondents see a food labeled as "irradiated," they would not choose to buy it. Within developing countries such as Argentina, the promotion of this technology by government agencies would be very costly, and at present, these costs would not seem to be justified. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The negative perceptions of consumers would hinder the successful implementation of food irradiation. The doubts or insecurities that consumers of developing countries have are similar to those that consumers of developed countries have. Most respondents answered that irradiated foods should be labeled as such. If food irradiation was to be pursued further, the place to start would be in food science curricula as this is the basis of future professionals in charge of researching its use and/or implementing the process. [source] The Relationship between Attitudes, Knowledge, and Demographic Variables of High School Teachers Regarding Food IrradiationJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2007B.M. Thompson ABSTRACT:,The purpose of this study was to use a validated instrument to determine the attitudes and knowledge of high school teachers regarding food irradiation, and to determine the correlations among their knowledge and attitudes and certain demographic variables. Knowledge and attitudes about food irradiation were measured in selected high school family and consumer sciences teachers (n= 121) who taught Food and Nutrition, Food Science and Technology, and/or Food Production Management and Services, via a 24-item instrument with 6 factors. Results revealed these teachers held neutral to positive attitudes about the safety of irradiated foods, their perception of the risk of foodborne illness, and learning about food irradiation, and neutral to negative perceptions of their understanding of food irradiation and their competence to teach about it. These teachers had a moderate knowledge base regarding food irradiation. Teachers' attitudes regarding the safety of food irradiation were positively correlated with their perceived understanding of food irradiation, actual knowledge of it, and competence to teach about it. Their perceived understanding of food irradiation was positively correlated with competence to teach about it, knowledge, and attitudes toward the safety of food irradiation. The only demographic variable correlated with knowledge or attitudes was teachers' previous food irradiation educational experiences. These data suggest the importance of education for family and consumer sciences teachers concerning food irradiation. [source] CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF IRRADIATED FRUIT: A CASE STUDY USING CHOICE-BASED CONJOINT ANALYSISJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 2 2010ROSIRES DELIZA ABSTRACT Papaya is a popular fruit among Brazilian consumers, but one problem is that fruit ripens quickly due to the high temperatures of the country. Irradiation is an effective way of slowing down ripening, hereby increasing shelf-life, but consumer acceptance of this novel technology is paramount for its successful introduction by industry. Using conjoint analysis, this research measures consumer acceptance of irradiated papaya fruit in a sample of urban Brazilian consumers. The study assesses the joint influence of product appearance, price and information about the use of irradiation for consumer choice. Real fruit was used and consumer responses were collected through intercept interviews in supermarkets. These two empirical aspects add external validity to the research. The responses from a convenience sample of 168 consumers from Rio de Janeiro revealed that the product appearance, as a proxy for product quality, was the most important factor influencing decision to purchase papaya. Price was of lesser importance. The participants in this study did not reject papaya due to the labelled information about the use of irradiation. This suggests irradiation as a viable alternative for fruit producers. Consumers demonstrated no knowledge about food irradiation, and education initiatives may be useful as a strategy to aid commercial introduction of irradiated papaya in Brazil. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This study has important practical implications for Brazilian agribusinesses because it contributes to our understanding of the relationship between market changes, consumer behavior, food products and processing technologies. It has shown that sensory appearance was the key factor influencing Brazilian consumers' choice of papaya, however, more education and information regarding irradiation technology should be provided. The results suggest that irradiation could be used in Brazil and provide a viable alternative to fruit producers. As a consequence, these results are useful for strategic planning of consumer education regarding food irradiation (with emphasis on the benefits of processing and addressing the myths), something which could, eventually, contribute to a more favorable consumer response to the technology. [source] | ||||||||||