# Presentation: 215301

## U S Consumer Response: Food Irradiation

**Christine M. Bruhn, Ph.D.**
**Director, Center for Consumer Research**
**University of California, Davis**

## New Food and Beverage Pacesetters with Benefits 

- Times and Trends, May 2003

## Consumers Concerned Specific Food Safety

- Food Marketing Institute, 1997, 2004

## Irradiated Products in the Marketplace

**Meat and poultry**
**Restaurants and Supermarkets**
**Whole fruits and vegetables**
**Strawberries, Mushrooms, Onions Oranges**
**Tropical fruit from Hawaii**

## Dairy Queen, Minnesota

**Everyone who buys a burger is offered a Blizzard coupon to respond to a phone poll**
**70 percent of respondents have either been neutral or positive about the product and would definitely try it again**** **

## Consumer Reaction 

**“****Customer reaction has been good."  Dairy Queen Owner**
** ****Many people are saying, 'It's about time.' People like to have another layer of protection." **
**Our main concern was if the burger tastes good, and it tastes good." **

## Hawaii Pride POS material

## Consumer Questions

**What are the advantages?**
**Does it taste different?**
**Is it safe?**
**What about nutritional value?**
**How much does it cost?**

## FDA Evaluates

**Radiological safety**
**Toxicological safety**
**Microbiological safety**
**Nutritional adequacy**
**Multigenerational animal studies evaluated**

## Types of Studies FDA Evaluated For Chicken

**rats****	****	****chicken 0,3,6 kGy ****	****	****2**** ****gens**
**dogs****	****	****chicken 0,3,6 kGy****	****	****1 year**
**mice, rats****	****chicken 45-68 kGy****	****	****various hamsters, rabbits ****	****	****	****	****lengths**
**dogs****	****	****chicken 45-68 kGy****	****in utero 4 yrs**
**mice****	****	****all food****	****50 kGy****	****	****40 gens****   **

## Scientific Community Endorses Safety and Wholesomeness of Irradiated Food

**Centers for Disease Control**
**American Medical Association**
**American Dietetic Association**
**American Veterinary Medical Ass.**
**World Health Organization**
**US FDA and USDA**
**Codex**
**Regulatory bodies in over 40 countries**

## Organizations NOT Supporting Food Irradiation

**Consumers International**
**Citizens for Health**
**Organic Consumers Association**
**Public Citizen**
**The Center for Food Safety **
**(public interest / environmental advocacy)**

## Consumer Response to Negative Information

**Interest in purchasing fell from 77% to 43%**
**After hearing positive information, 84% were interested in purchasing**
**48% were willing to pay a premium**

- Fox, 1999

## When they hear about irradiation, most respond positively

**92%  Purchased papayas, Bruhn & Noel‘87**
**80%  Purchased strawberries, Terry & Tabor’88**
**90+%Would purchase, Pohlman et al, 94**
**80%  Purchased chicken, Fox & Olson ’98**
**80%  Would purchase gd beef, FMI & AMI’98**
**80%  Would purchase gd beef, Nayga ’02**
**82%  Would purchase gd beef, Albrecht ‘02**

##  Irradiated Produce

**Products are well accepted**
**Carrot Top - Illinois**
**“****Acceptance of irradiation has become a non-issue since many major retailers are now carrying irradiated products” –The Packer on line, November 1, 2004**
**“****If my supermarket carries it,  it is OK for me”**

## Argentina

**Argentina**

**Curiosity about the treatment and onion quality influenced buyers**
**84%-98% would buy again**
**Conclusion:  There is an internal market for irradiated food**

_**1985 - 1988  Irradiated onions and garlic**_

- Urioste et al, 1990; Curzio et al.1986,1990

## China

**China**

**Apples 80 t****	****Garlic 28,500 t**
**Meat products 950 t ****	****Potato 150 t**
**Onions 200 t****	****Rice 850 t**
**Spices/seasonings 920 t ****	****Sweet potato wine 120 t**
**Tomato 40 t ****	****Dehydrated vegs. 2,100 t**

_**36,190 Tons marketed, 1990-1995**_

- QiXun, 1996

## Korea

**Korea**

**Dried mushrooms  ****	****100 **
**Dried condiments  ****	****1600 - 1700 **
**Dried meat ****	****20 - 60 **
**Dried fish/shellfish pwd. ****	****150 - 300 **
**Dried vegetables ****	****600 - 800**
**Soybean paste pwd ****	****20 - 100 **
**Soy sauce pwd ****	****40 - 100 **
**	****	****and other products**

_**1994-1996 **_
_**Approx. Yearly Tonnage of Irradiated Foods**_

- Cho 1996

## Summary

**Product attributes drive consumption**
**Irradiation is not widely understood**
**Activists describe food as dangerous**
**Scientific community endorses safety of irradiated products**
**Consumers are choosing irradiated food in supermarkets and restaurants**

## Additional Information

**Type irradiation in the search box**
_**[www.cdc.gov](http://www.cdc.gov/)**_** **
_**[www.fda.gov/search.html](http://www.fda.gov/search.html)**_
_**[www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety](http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety)**_
_**[www.health.state.mn.us](http://www.health.state.mn.us/)**__**[/](http://www.health.state.mn.us/)**_
**ccr.ucdavis.edu**
**www.ific.org**