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Article
Publication date: 15 March 2013

L. Manning and J.M. Soon

The purpose of this paper is to review the methods for assessing food safety risk within a food safety plan.

2848

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the methods for assessing food safety risk within a food safety plan.

Design/methodology/approach

The research involved analysis of both qualitative and quantitative methods of risk assessment.

Findings

Risk assessment is a key element of the HACCP approach to food safety. It requires food business operators and those on HACCP teams to determine both the acceptable level of contamination and the risk for the food business, and ultimately the consumer. The choice of food safety risk assessment model is crucial to an organisation. The mechanisms to determine what is acceptable can be a combination of scientific based and value based criteria and utilise qualitative or semi‐quantitative approaches. Whilst fuzzy logic has a place in making risk assessment more quantitative; specific software tools are required to enable quantitative risk assessment especially where what is acceptable at one point could, subject to other factors later in the supply chain, change to an unacceptable level of risk to the consumer. Quantitative mechanisms are required to make these decisions at organisational, or indeed at policy level, fully transparent.

Originality/value

This research is of academic value and of value to policy makers and practitioners in the food supply chain.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 115 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2019

Ruth M.W. Yeung and Wallace M.S. Yee

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between risk characteristics, risk perception and future travel intention in the context of food safety risk.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between risk characteristics, risk perception and future travel intention in the context of food safety risk.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used a structured questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of 715 participants. By using structural equation modelling method, a travel intention framework was successfully developed to test the impact of characteristics of food safety risk on perception of risk, and subsequently on travel intention. In addition, the framework was also tested and compared with different demographic groups.

Findings

The research confirms that the characteristics of risk have impact on the two dimensions of perception of risk, namely, likelihood of occurrence and consequence of occurrence in turn travel intention. Furthermore, characteristics of risk affect demographic groups differently.

Research limitations/implications

The finding of this study offers insight into the distinct effects between the two dimensions, namely, likelihood and consequence of risk perception and each dimension consists of different loss components and has different effect on travel intention.

Practical implications

The framework provides insight to the government and travel industry that risk perception is a paramount issue for travellers when making destination decision. As such, the government and travel industry should take action to prevent the occurrence of food risk and to reduce the severity consequence of the risk when it occurs.

Originality/value

This research is one of the few studies generating new insights into perception of food safety risk in international tourism from the social science and marketing perspective.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 122 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2021

Kwanhatai Thongpalad, Sushil Koirala and Anil Kumar Anal

Safe food from animal origins rely on preventive measures adopted at the farm level. However, farmers' awareness on the food safety risk is limited, affecting their on-farm…

Abstract

Purpose

Safe food from animal origins rely on preventive measures adopted at the farm level. However, farmers' awareness on the food safety risk is limited, affecting their on-farm activities. Thus, this study was conducted to assess and compare the farmers' perceptions on food safety issues and risks caused by the management and practices at layer farms.

Design/methodology/approach

Farmers from 143 farms certified by National Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standard and 59 non-GAP farms were interviewed using a structured questionnaire for risk perception evaluation. Their level of perceived risk was compared using a scoring system.

Findings

The food safety hazards in eggs seem to be fairly recognized by both groups of farmers. GAP farmers demonstrated a higher risk of food safety incidences caused by inappropriate management and practices in farms than non-GAP farmers (p < 0.001). Although the results did not confirm the strong connection between risk perception and risk reduction behavior, these findings are beneficial to the food safety policy implementers to evaluate the critical issues for risk communication and for knowledge dissemination activities. The influence of other internal and external factors on farmers' food safety-related behavior should be further investigated.

Research limitations/implications

The impact limitation was identified due to the restriction of scope on a specific population and region. The target respondents did not cover all scales, especially the backyard and smallholder farmers nor other rearing systems, such as free-range productions.

Originality/value

The knowledge regarding the food safety practices by egg producing farmers in Thailand is limited. Notably, this study contributes to the literature in elucidating the preventive behavior of food handlers and all stakeholders in the Thai food supply chain. The implementations of food safety preventive measures by two groups of farmers, GAP-certified and non-GAP-certified farmers, will guide policymakers to intervene more successfully regarding the appropriate changes needed.

Details

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, vol. 12 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-0839

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 October 2020

Thanh Mai Ha, Shamim Shakur and Kim Hang Pham Do

This paper analyses Hanoi consumers' evaluation of food risk and response to the perceived risk.

1935

Abstract

Purpose

This paper analyses Hanoi consumers' evaluation of food risk and response to the perceived risk.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employed the mixed method approach that integrates segmentation analysis on the survey data and information from group discussions.

Findings

Based on consumers' risk rating of six food groups and level of food safety worry, the authors identified four distinct consumer segments: low, moderate, high and very-high-risk perception. The authors found the existence of widespread food safety concerns among Hanoi consumers. Living in an urban region was associated with a higher level of food risk perception. Moderate, high and very-high-risk perception segments exhibited a very low level of institutional trust and subjective control over hazards. Response to the perceived risk differed across segments. “Very high-risk perception” was associated with the most risk-averse behaviour, putting more effort into seeking food safety information and engaging more in supermarket purchase. Consumers with a low and moderate perceived food risk participate more in self-supply of food to reduce their food safety concern.

Practical implications

The paper provides empirical evidence on consumers' evaluation of food risk and their risk-reducing strategies to support the risk communication in Vietnam.

Social implications

Enhancing institutional trust and risk communication including hazard education can improve consumer confidence in food.

Originality/value

This is the first segmentation study on consumer food risk perception in Vietnam.

Details

Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2515-964X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 1998

Christopher Ritson and Li Wei Mai

Discusses the financial implications of maintaining acceptable levels of food safety. The case of BSE is used as an example ‐ loss of export market, fall in domestic sales…

3320

Abstract

Discusses the financial implications of maintaining acceptable levels of food safety. The case of BSE is used as an example ‐ loss of export market, fall in domestic sales, changes in consumption, large expenditure, cost of practice changes in rearing and slaughtering animals. There is a trade‐off between safety and costs. How much safety can be expected? There must be an optimum level of safety. There are few ways in which a market economy can “fail” in providing the optimum ‐ asymmetry in knowledge of risks; aspects of food safety which are public goods; social costs of food safety and the divergence between objective scientific evidence and consumer perception.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 98 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 October 2018

Charlene Elliott and Kirsten Ellison

The purpose of this paper is to explore the teenager perspectives of the meaning of food safety, and the implications of those meanings.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the teenager perspectives of the meaning of food safety, and the implications of those meanings.

Design/methodology/approach

Five focus groups were conducted with students (aged 12–14) from Calgary, AB. Participants were asked what food safety means to them and probed about their views on the relationship between food safety and packaged foods. Grounded theorizing informed the analysis.

Findings

Food safety was described as located within the system, located within the individual and located within the edible. Key to these teenagers’ understanding of food safety is the theme of food deception – a deception promulgated by food producers, manufacturers and advertisers who lack transparency about what they are actually selling. Teenagers draw attention to the risks associated with living in an industrialized food environment, and to the tension between safety and the industry-driven motive to sell.

Originality/value

Individuals start to make independent decisions around food preparation and consumption as teenagers; as present and future consumers, it is valuable to learn their perspectives and knowledge about food safety. More importantly, food safety is not only simply a health-related issue but also a semantic one. This study moves beyond the knowledge deficit approach characterizing most research on the topic. Instead, it probes the range of meanings associated with food safety and how they are worked out, revealing that the teenagers’ construction of food as “risk objects” reveals different links to harm than the food safety interventions typically directed to them.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 120 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2022

Istvan Lenart, Zoltan Lakner, Laszlo Kovacs and Gyula Kasza

The research aims at scrutinising food safety as a global concept and problem that has numerous cross-cultural aspects reflecting the diversity of consumption patterns and the…

Abstract

Purpose

The research aims at scrutinising food safety as a global concept and problem that has numerous cross-cultural aspects reflecting the diversity of consumption patterns and the culturally differing role of the consumer as well as mirroring the heterogeneity of socio-economic environment.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the role of consumer in food safety-related academic literature is investigated in seven languages (countries) including American English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Russian from a multidisciplinary, cross-cultural perspective.

Findings

With the aid of seven linguistic corpora built from the above mentioned languages, the research reveals noteworthy differences in the consumer-focused approach.

Research limitations/implications

The study could have benefited from the inclusion of further languages (i.e. Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi etc.), the authors' lack of reliable language skills outside of the covered domain had to be taken into account. Further to that, the analysis conducted is based on a static observation, while food safety-related consumer science is developing quickly. Therefore, a dynamic analysis of consumer roles would most certainly yield in further salient outcome.

Practical implications

Food safety can be regarded in many ways–this is reflected in different national legislations, dissimilar country-level risk communication patterns as well as different perception of basic notions of food safety. It has not yet been extensively analysed, however, how different languages use the notion of food safety or consumer, which activities and which characteristics are most connected to these notions, and how food safety-related topics and the focus of scientific discourse in different languages differ from each other.

Social implications

Practical implications of the research results also include preparatory activities for food safety risk communication campaigns. In this field, the cultural aspects of food safety are as important as scientific risk assessment. The tools presented in this paper help a quick and comprehensive analysis of linguistic corpora, which could be used either in academic or general literature resources, even press releases. The results also call attention to the culture-driven perspectives of food safety; these new insights can be applied by researchers to review food safety literature more exhaustively considering the cultural context. Future elaboration of the topic (e.g. by introducing a time factor that would enable a dynamic analysis) can further enhance the utility value of similar studies.

Originality/value

The novelty of the article lies in the unique application of corpus linguistic methods with the aim of investigating the area, the trends and phenomena of food safety-related science. This study combines the achievements of food safety-related consumer science with corpus linguistic methods.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 124 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 October 2018

Huan Zhang, Na Gao, Yean Wang and Yixuan Han

The purpose of this paper is to model how risk governance (RG) influences risk prevention behaviors toward food safety issues, considering the perception of related risks in the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to model how risk governance (RG) influences risk prevention behaviors toward food safety issues, considering the perception of related risks in the Taiwanese context.

Design/methodology/approach

The national representative data on risk society modules from the Taiwan Social Change Survey data were used (sample size = 2,005). The procedure for the analysis consisted of investigation of the model fit indices of structural equation modeling, incorporating the mediation effect. Multiple-group analysis was used to examine the moderation effects.

Findings

Results show that the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the advanced TRA can accurately explain personal risk perception (RP) (R2=0.40) and risk prevention (R2=0.42). Results also suggest that RG institutions can affect personal RP and risk prevention through subjective norms. In addition, moderation effects of media and gender were found.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first attempts to examine the RG effects on RP and risk prevention behavior of food safety issues in Taiwan. The results and findings may be helpful for RG institutions.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 120 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 August 2013

Ruth M.W. Yeung and Wallace M.S. Yee

Adapting from the extant literature, this paper aims to present an empirical framework of risk measurement in the context of food safety risk in overseas destinations.

1140

Abstract

Purpose

Adapting from the extant literature, this paper aims to present an empirical framework of risk measurement in the context of food safety risk in overseas destinations.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 715 respondents visiting Macau in October 2008 by using intercept method. Principal component analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis were utilised for data analysis.

Findings

The research yielded 12 factors, of which five factors, namely Dread, Framing effect, Controllable, Regulation and Past experience measure risk characteristics; two factors, namely Uncertainty and Consequence measure tourist risk perception, and five factors, namely Travel information, Safety assurance, Destination reputation, Marketing activities and Precaution measure risk reduction, especially related to food safety risk in international destinations.

Practical implications

The tourist industry should understand more specifically what tourists want to know so as to devise appropriate communication management strategies at the international destination.

Originality/value

The risk measurement framework provides an insight for the development of an instrument to assess the social and economic impact on tourist perception of international travel risk.

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2021

Zhiqiang Geng, Lingling Liang, Yongming Han, Guangcan Tao and Chong Chu

Food safety risk brought by environmental pollution seriously threatens human health and affects national economic and social development. In particular, heavy metal pollution and…

Abstract

Purpose

Food safety risk brought by environmental pollution seriously threatens human health and affects national economic and social development. In particular, heavy metal pollution and nutrient deficiency have caused regional diseases. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to present a risk early warning method of food safety considering environmental and nutritional factors.

Design/methodology/approach

A novel risk early warning modelling method based on the long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network integrating sum product based analytic hierarchy process (AHP-SP) is proposed. The data fuzzification method is adopted to overcome the uncertainty of food safety detection data and the processed data are viewed as the input of the LSTM. The AHP-SP method is used to fuse the risk of detection data and the obtained risk values are viewed as the expected output of the LSTM. Finally, the proposed method is applied on one group of sterilized milk data from a food detection agency in China.

Findings

The experimental results show that compared with the back propagation and the radial basis function neural networks, the proposed method has higher accuracy in predicting the development trend of food safety risk. Moreover, the causal factors of the risk can be figured out through the predicted results.

Originality/value

The proposed modelling method can achieve accurate prediction and early warning of food safety risk, and provide decision-making basis for the relevant departments to formulate targeted risk prevention and control measures, thereby avoiding food safety incidents caused by environmental pollution or nutritional deficiency.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 124 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

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