{"title":"Consumers' lay theories on food safety: Insights from a Q-methodology study","authors":"Khalid Joya, Ulrich R. Orth","doi":"10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105641","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Consumer perceptions regarding food safety influence their purchasing behavior and consequently public health. Individual perspectives on food safety are diverse and subjective, however, suggesting that a universal behavioral change intervention may not be effective. This study examines fundamental lay theories related to food safety with consumers in Germany. Employing Q-methodology, the study identified and profiled distinct consumer groups based on similarities and differences in the specific lay theories held by group members. Sixty consumers in Germany evaluated a pre-assembled Q-set of 40 statements reflecting a wide range of individual opinions and beliefs regarding food safety, resulting in a quasi-normal distribution. Factor analysis revealed four primary lay theories including defining characteristics: (1) Institutional Trustors: “German regulatory organizations are performing exceptionally well in the realm of food safety”, (2) Label Skeptics: “Labels function as marketing instruments rather than food safety indicators”, (3) EU Pragmatists: “Products manufactured in Europe are considered safe”, and (4) Media Cynics: “Media reports regarding food (un)safety often lack accuracy”. Institutional Trustors emphasize regulatory transparency while dismissing corporate influence; Label Skeptics express distrust towards certifications but support policy reforms; EU Pragmatists appreciate supranational standards while steering clear of alarmism; and Media Cynics exhibit heightened risk perceptions influenced by media while simultaneously and paradoxically trusting inspections despite a broader systemic distrust. The findings strengthen the social amplification of risk and affective heuristic frameworks in the context of institutional and media-induced food system trust erosion. Label standardization, EU-focused transparency campaigns, and media literacy programs are recommended to address specific segments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":322,"journal":{"name":"Food Quality and Preference","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105641"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Food Quality and Preference","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329325002162","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Consumer perceptions regarding food safety influence their purchasing behavior and consequently public health. Individual perspectives on food safety are diverse and subjective, however, suggesting that a universal behavioral change intervention may not be effective. This study examines fundamental lay theories related to food safety with consumers in Germany. Employing Q-methodology, the study identified and profiled distinct consumer groups based on similarities and differences in the specific lay theories held by group members. Sixty consumers in Germany evaluated a pre-assembled Q-set of 40 statements reflecting a wide range of individual opinions and beliefs regarding food safety, resulting in a quasi-normal distribution. Factor analysis revealed four primary lay theories including defining characteristics: (1) Institutional Trustors: “German regulatory organizations are performing exceptionally well in the realm of food safety”, (2) Label Skeptics: “Labels function as marketing instruments rather than food safety indicators”, (3) EU Pragmatists: “Products manufactured in Europe are considered safe”, and (4) Media Cynics: “Media reports regarding food (un)safety often lack accuracy”. Institutional Trustors emphasize regulatory transparency while dismissing corporate influence; Label Skeptics express distrust towards certifications but support policy reforms; EU Pragmatists appreciate supranational standards while steering clear of alarmism; and Media Cynics exhibit heightened risk perceptions influenced by media while simultaneously and paradoxically trusting inspections despite a broader systemic distrust. The findings strengthen the social amplification of risk and affective heuristic frameworks in the context of institutional and media-induced food system trust erosion. Label standardization, EU-focused transparency campaigns, and media literacy programs are recommended to address specific segments.
期刊介绍:
Food Quality and Preference is a journal devoted to sensory, consumer and behavioural research in food and non-food products. It publishes original research, critical reviews, and short communications in sensory and consumer science, and sensometrics. In addition, the journal publishes special invited issues on important timely topics and from relevant conferences. These are aimed at bridging the gap between research and application, bringing together authors and readers in consumer and market research, sensory science, sensometrics and sensory evaluation, nutrition and food choice, as well as food research, product development and sensory quality assurance. Submissions to Food Quality and Preference are limited to papers that include some form of human measurement; papers that are limited to physical/chemical measures or the routine application of sensory, consumer or econometric analysis will not be considered unless they specifically make a novel scientific contribution in line with the journal''s coverage as outlined below.