The perception of risks associated with food-related hazards and the perceived reliability of sources of information

This study aimed to explore, on the one hand, public perception of risks associated with different food-related hazards and, on the other hand, perception of reliability of various sources providing information on food-related risks. Some differences were found when consumers compared six food-related hazards in terms of perceived personal risk and their knowledge of potential food risks. The concern about food risks was found to be statistically significantly dependent on the perception of risk to the individual. As far as the perception of the reliability of information was concerned, a principal component analysis revealed some differences in terms of respondentsʹ perception when the sources were compared. Furthermore, a regression analysis showed that the perceived amount of information each source contained about food-related hazards was an important element in perception of reliability, as well as the degree of concern consumers believed the agencies had with protecting their health from food risks.