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Objectives Concerns about unsafe food influence food choice and consumption of unsafe foods increase morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Addressing unsafe food is dominated by mitigation of biological and chemical hazards through supply-side risk management, with less emphasis on individuals’ experiences and perspectives of food safety. We aimed to identify and categorize perspectives about food safety in five countries. Methods Five studies designed to address drivers of food choice in low- and middle-income countries provided transcripts from 17 focus groups discussions and 303 interviews in Kenya, Ghana, India, Guinea, and Vietnam. We analyzed transcripts using a priori and emergent coding techniques that involved a constant comparative method. Results Individuals constructed meaning about food safety through personal experience and social influences. Community and family members contributed knowledge about food safety. Concerns about food safety were influenced by reputations of and relationships with vendors. Concerns were amplified by mistrust of vendors’ purposeful adulteration, unsafe selling practices, and new methods to produce food. Individuals were reassured of food safety by positive relationships with vendors; home-cooked meals; implementation of policies and regulations being followed; vendor adherence to environmental sanitation and food hygiene practices; cleanliness of vendors’ appearance; vendors’ or producers’ agency to use risk mitigation strategies; and transparency in production, processing, and distribution of food. Conclusions Individuals’ perspectives about food safety influence food choice behaviors. The success of food-safety policies hinges on consideration of these perspectives. Funding Sources The Drivers of Food Choice (DFC) Competitive Grants Program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

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Objective: To identify determinants of egg consumption in infants and young children ages 6-23.9 months in Ethiopia Design and Setting: Data used were from the cross-sectional baseline survey of an egg campaign in Ethiopia implemented by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. Participants: Children aged 6-23.9 months (n=453) were sampled. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, economic resources, caregiver’s behavior, child health and feeding practices, and egg consumption in the last seven days were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the association between explanatory variables and egg consumption in the last seven days. Results: About half of children (53.4%) did not consume eggs in the last seven days. The odds of children consuming eggs were 4.33 (p < 0.002) times higher when their caregivers had some college education compared to no education. Wealth was positively (OR, 1.13, p = 0.029) and household food insecurity was negatively (OR, 0.96, p = 0.117) associated with child egg consumption. Purchasing eggs (OR, 9.73, p < 0.001) and caregiver’s positive behavioral determinants (OR, 1.37, p=0.005) were associated with child egg consumption. The associations of sociodemographic characteristics and economic resources with egg consumption provide evidence of partial mediation through caregiver behavior and child health. Conclusions: About half of children aged 6-23.9 months consumed eggs. Availability of eggs in households, mainly through purchase, was strongly associated with egg consumption. Education of caregivers and household heads and economic resources were associated with egg consumption and may operate through caregiver behavior.