(P08-017-24) Assessing Experiences of Food Safety: A Scoping Review of Research Methods and Constructs

Objectives: While methods exist to objectively assess food safety risks and the nutritional adequacy of diets, the subjective experiences of consumers regarding food safety remain underexplored. This scoping review aims to determine which underlying constructs of subjective food safety experiences have been assessed.

Methods: Six databases (Cochrane, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, Science Direct) were used to identify articles published in English from 2000-2023 using key terms such as food safety, consumer food choice behaviors, and consumption. After removing duplicates, 1566 article titles and abstracts were screened for eligibility. Studies involving human participants and assessing food safety experiences were included, excluding those focusing on biological and chemical hazards through supply-side risk management.

Results: Full-text screening of 89 articles was completed; data were extracted from 81 articles. Most studies (n=51) were conducted in high-income countries. Quantitative methods were used in 58 of the studies, qualitative methods in 22, and 8 were literature reviews. Fourteen of the articles focused on scale development. Most studies included consumers as participants (n=65). Vendors and retailers were recruited in 15 of the studies, and professionals from healthcare and academia were recruited in 2. Studies measured cognitive (e.g., knowledge, awareness), affective (e.g., trust, concern), and behavioral (e.g., safe food handling practices) components of food safety. The infrastructure (e.g., availability of sanitation facilities) and adherence to quality control (e.g., transparency of food preparation areas and practices) influenced consumers’ sensory perceptions, feelings of trust, self-efficacy, risk perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes toward food safety. Despite the importance of these factors, few studies integrated these considerations into their evaluations to comprehensively understand their combined influence on consumers' food safety experiences.

Conclusions: Research on food safety experiences and metrics is limited. Studies predominantly originate from high-income countries, focus on psychological dimensions of food safety, and do not adequately consider external conditions and societal contexts.

Funding Sources: International Food Policy Research Institute