Department of Marketing, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
Nutrients. 2024 Oct 10;16(20):3427. doi: 10.3390/nu16203427.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study investigates consumer perceptions and acceptance of ionizing radiation (IoR) as a perishable food stabilisation technology. Consumers' preferences influence the success of emerging food technologies. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of consumers' behavioural responses and their development over time is essential.
This research employs a mixed-methods approach, surveying 313 young adults in New Zealand on their views of both irradiated (IoR) and genetically modified (GM) highly perishable foods. This study explored both participants' attitudes towards these two technologies and also their willingness to consume these foods.
The qualitative research revealed a preponderance of "affective" associations over "cognitive" associations with regard to both IoR and GM technologies. The quantitative research indicated that where consumers were given time to reflect, evaluations of GM improved, while those of IoR did not ( < 0.01). There was a gender divide, with females being more positively inclined towards GM and males towards IoR ( < 0.01). Both technologies were significantly disfavoured compared to non-treated products ( < 0.01). There was a significant discrimination when the two technologies were presented as concepts and as products. GM was more favourably received as a concept than as a product ( < 0.01), while IoR was disfavoured in either form. The two food neophobia scales that were tested showed a divergence in performance, with the more affectively based scale showing a higher level of correlation with behaviour.
This research reveals that a largely affective (visceral) distrust of both IoR and GM exists within this young food consumer sample. As it is affective in nature, this position will be very resistant to education efforts, particularly if they are "cognitively" based. However, a significant softening of these affective attitudes towards GM products indicates that such efforts may be effective, given time and investment.
背景/目的：本研究调查了消费者对电离辐射（IoR）作为易腐食品稳定技术的认知和接受程度。消费者的偏好影响新兴食品技术的成功。因此，全面了解消费者的行为反应及其随时间的发展至关重要。
本研究采用混合方法，对新西兰的 313 名年轻成年人进行了调查，了解他们对辐照（IoR）和基因改良（GM）高度易腐食品的看法。本研究探讨了参与者对这两种技术的态度，以及他们对这些食品的消费意愿。
定性研究表明，对于 IoR 和 GM 技术，“情感”关联的比例高于“认知”关联。定量研究表明，当消费者有时间思考时，他们对 GM 的评价有所改善，而对 IoR 的评价则没有（<0.01）。存在性别差异，女性对 GM 的态度更为积极，而男性则更倾向于 IoR（<0.01）。与未经处理的产品相比，两种技术都明显不受欢迎（<0.01）。当两种技术作为概念和产品呈现时，存在显著的歧视。GM 作为概念比作为产品更受欢迎（<0.01），而 IoR 则在任何形式下都不受欢迎。两种食品恐惧量表的测试结果显示出不同的表现，基于情感的量表与行为的相关性更高。
本研究表明，在这个年轻的食品消费者样本中，对 IoR 和 GM 存在着一种主要是情感（本能）的不信任。由于它是情感性质的，这种立场将非常抵制教育努力，特别是如果这些努力是基于“认知”的。然而，对 GM 产品的这些情感态度有了显著的缓和，表明如果有时间和投资，这些努力可能会有效。
