Implications for effective food risk communication following the Fukushima nuclear accident based on a consumer survey

Kim, Nam Hee; Cho, Tae Jin; Kim, Yu Been; Park, Byoung Il; Kim, Hee Sung; Rhee, Min Suk

doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.09.008

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…In this study, most respondents decreased their purchases of seafood after the Fukushima accident and would not purchase seafood, even if the levels of radiation in the food were non-detectable. These results are similar to a recent study [ 18 ] reporting that 77% of respondents did not purchase Japanese food products after the Fukushima accident, and showed that the majority of consumers, despite more than 3 years having passed since the Fukushima accident, are still avoiding Japanese seafood. In a similar study that surveyed Americans, 33% responded that they saw decreases in purchasing Asian seafood products after the Fukushima accident and 63% of the respondents thought that there would be threats to consumer health from Asian seafood [ 3 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Relating to information searching activities and levels of radiation knowledge, a previous study [ 18 ] reported that 19.1% of the respondents searched for information relating to the Fukushima accident; moreover, this study reported similar results with 17.4% of the respondents knowing that the MFDS website was providing information on the management of radioactivity in imported food on a daily basis, and 17.7% of the respondents referring to the information provided by the MFDS when purchasing food products. The radiation knowledge scores averaged 3.63 out of 9, showing similar or lower levels to the score of 3.1 out of 6 in the previous study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

“…While there were a few studies on the perception of Japanese food following the Fukushima accident, most studies examined Japanese citizens [ 9 , 15 – 17 ]. There were also a few studies on American consumers [ 3 ] and Korean consumers [ 18 ] on the perception of seafood after the Fukushima accident; however, they mainly focused on the general level of risk perception and awareness about food safety issues related to radioactive contaminations. Furthermore, those studies had limitations in understanding and confirming factors relating to public opinion on regulatory policy regarding potential radioactive contamination of food.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors associated with the risk perception and purchase decisions of Fukushima-related food in South Korea

Lee

Seo

Song³

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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Following the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, the risk level perceived by Koreans on the radioactive contamination of Japanese food that is being distributed in Korea remains high. Many of these perceptions are based on subjective risk perception rather than an objective measure with scientific evidence, which makes communicating risks more difficult; therefore, it is critical to understand factors associated with risk perception for effective risk communication. In this study, we identified variables that are associated with buying tendencies and opinions about the regulatory policy of Japanese seafood after the accident. A survey was conducted with 1045 adults aged over 20 years in Korea. The majority (68.8%) responded that they would not purchase Japanese seafood when radioactivity levels in the food were non-detectable. Moreover, 82.2% responded that the current levels of import restrictions on Japanese seafood must be maintained. Despite many concerns regarding the exposure to radiation and the effects from food products following the Fukushima accident, the opportunities to encounter and to collect correct information remain limited and average radioactive knowledge scores were low (3.63 out of 9). Of the various characteristics associated with purchase decisions and agreement on the current import restraints of Japanese seafood, trust levels in the government and the mass media for providing information on radioactivity were major factors that influenced risk perception. While the scope of this study was limited to seafood, it is very closely tied to daily lives, where we revealed differences about risk perceptions and agreement on import restraints of Japanese seafood per a complex mixture of individual characteristics and the surrounding environment. These results provide useful information to understand the risk perception of the potential radioactive contamination of food and to predict the public’s responses to food consumption and import restraint policies due to nuclear accidents in neighboring countries.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors associated with the risk perception and purchase decisions of Fukushima-related food in South Korea

Lee

Seo

Song³

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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“…Belyakov 2015; Hee et al 2014;Sawada, Aizaki, and Sato 2014;Turcanu et al 2007). However, avoidance from the food grown in contaminated areas also depends on food availability.…”

Section: Contamination Of Fish By Environmental Pollutantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extrapolating understanding of food risk perceptions to emerging food safety cases

Kaptan

Fischer

Frewer

2017

Journal of Risk Research

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Important determinants of risk perceptions associated with foods are the extent to which the potential hazards are perceived to have technological or naturally occurring origins, together with the acute vs. chronic dimension in which the potential hazard is presented (acute or chronic). This study presents a case study analysis based on an extensive literature review examining how these hazard characteristics affect people's risk and benefit perceptions, and associated attitudes and behaviors. The cases include E. coli incidences (outbreaks linked to fresh spinach and fenugreek sprouts), contamination of fish by environmental pollutants, (organochlorine contaminants in farmed salmon), radioactive contamination of food following a nuclear accident (the Fukushima accident in Japan), and GM salmon destined for the human food chain. The analysis of the cases over the acute vs. chronic dimension suggests that longitudinal quantification of the relationship between risk perceptions and impacts is important for both acute and chronic food safety, but this has infrequently been applied to chronic hazards. Technologies applied to food production tend to potentially be associated with higher levels of risk perception, linked to perceptions that the risk is unnatural. However, for some risks (e.g. those involving biological irreversibility), moral or ethical concerns may be more important determinants of consumer responses than risk or benefit perceptions. (Lack of) trust has been highlighted in all of the cases suggesting transparent and honest risk-benefit communications following the occurrence of a food safety incident. Implications for optimizing associated risk communication strategies, additional research linking risk perception, and other quantitative measures, including comparisons in time and space, are suggested.

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“…Supply-chain disruptions (Stewart, 2011) and harmful rumors (Haworth, 2013;Koyama, 2012) also damaged the economy. For example, 77.2% of 1,208 consumers refrained from purchasing Japanese food after the accident because of fears about the food supply (Kim et al, 2015).…”

Section: Health Issues and Psychological Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple disasters management: Lessons from the Fukushima triple events

Managi

Guan

2017

Economic Analysis and Policy

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It has been five and a half years since the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) in March 2011. This study summarize management and policy lessons from the GEJE. The recovery efforts that followed the triple disasters: the earthquake, tsunami and meltdown of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant are in progress. The experience of the GEJE and tsunami prompted the building of embankments throughout the Pacific coastal side of the Tohoku region. The Cabinet’s Reconstruction Headquarters used at least 19 trillion yen ($158 billion) for intensive reconstruction over five years through 2015. The local government of the affected area accelerated the decontamination of commercial land which is an important action for the recovery. The central government introduced the Electricity Business Act for implementing voluntary energy conservation measures for peak energy seasons. The GEJE has had an indirect effect on the health of the disaster victims via job uncertainty as well. Decontamination is crucial in bringing people and businesses back to the affected area and promoting sustainable economic recovery because it reduces uncertainty about the short and long-term health risks. An efficient health and occupation plan for the victims is essential for the integrated approach to multiple disaster management

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Implications for effective food risk communication following the Fukushima nuclear accident based on a consumer survey

Cited by 12 publications

References 36 publications

Factors associated with the risk perception and purchase decisions of Fukushima-related food in South Korea

Factors associated with the risk perception and purchase decisions of Fukushima-related food in South Korea

Extrapolating understanding of food risk perceptions to emerging food safety cases

Multiple disasters management: Lessons from the Fukushima triple events

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