Demographic and Socioeconomic Influences on the Importance of Food Safety in Food Shopping

Abstract

The perceived importance of food safety is instrumental in the success of consumer information programs to promote public health and to market safer foods. This paper examines how the belief of a household's main meal planner about the importance of food safety in food shopping is influenced by the person's or the household's demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Results suggest food safety is more important to main meal planners who are female, older, more educated, non-working, have at-risk household members (elderly, young children, and pregnant women), or live in the Northeast and the South. Implications of the results on consumer education are discussed.