Abstract

Food markets in developing countries encompass a wide spectrum of food health risk exposures for consumers, but little is known about how consumers make judgments and decisions in relation to these risks. This study examined the relationship between perceived food health risk, anticipated regret from adverse health outcomes, command over exposure (volition), and command over outcome (control). A field experiment was conducted with consumers of kale (Brassica oleracea) at a traditional pen-urban market in Nairobi, Kenya. The intervention introduced a sales point developed to meet high food safety standards with produce being specifically sourced and controlled for safe production, transport, and handling practices. The treatment group (n = 152) received information about actions taken through the intervention to minimize risks and participants used their own money to bid to upgrade from kale sold from non-intervention sales stands. Participants in the control group (n = 100) were observed after buying kale from non-intervention sales points within the same market. The results showed that consequentialist and emotion-based risk measures were related, as were volition and control for both groups, but the levels were different. Moreover, in the treatment group perceived risk was related to volition and anticipated regret, but control was only related to perceived risk. These findings have implications for food risk communication and actions to improve local conditions under which food is sold. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Consumer; Food health risk; Perceived risk; Anticipated regret; Volition; Control

Published in

Food Control
2015, Volume: 47, pages: 359-368
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD

SLU Authors

• Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan

  • Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
SDG17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development


UKÄ Subject classification

Business Administration
Applied Psychology
Agricultural Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.07.026

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/73787