Food Integrity and Food Technology Concerns in Canada: Evidence from Two Public Surveys

Food integrity and food technologies both generate public concerns. There is little research to show the interactions between those concerns in particular samples, especially in Canada. In this paper, data from two national online samples are used to examine an aggregate of food integrity concerns,...

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Main Authors: Ellen Goddard, Violet Muringai, Albert Boaitey
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:Journal of Food Quality
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2163526
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author Ellen Goddard
Violet Muringai
Albert Boaitey
author_facet Ellen Goddard
Violet Muringai
Albert Boaitey
author_sort Ellen Goddard
collection DOAJ
description Food integrity and food technologies both generate public concerns. There is little research to show the interactions between those concerns in particular samples, especially in Canada. In this paper, data from two national online samples are used to examine an aggregate of food integrity concerns, genetic modification in food, and food nanotechnology concerns in the Canadian public. A variety of trust, health, environmental, and science attitude variables are used to help explain the concerns that vary across the population. In addition, the food integrity concerns are tested as explanatory variables in the technology concern models to establish whether there is a strong or weak link between the two. Tobit and ordered probit regressions are used to model the variables for each of the survey samples. Results are examined to see if they are consistent across surveys and also consistent with an earlier study that was done in Australia. The results suggest that trust in people and trust in a variety of agents within the food system are beliefs that ameliorate concerns about food integrity and the two technologies. However, trust in advocacy organizations appears to be related to higher concerns in each case. Fundamentally and similar to the earlier Australian study, positive scientific attitudes are a major determinant of reduced concerns about food integrity and the two technologies.
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spelling doaj-art-cc588bbee58e41e4825a6bde42af47432025-02-03T05:59:35ZengWileyJournal of Food Quality0146-94281745-45572018-01-01201810.1155/2018/21635262163526Food Integrity and Food Technology Concerns in Canada: Evidence from Two Public SurveysEllen Goddard0Violet Muringai1Albert Boaitey2Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, CanadaDepartment of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, CanadaDepartment of Agricultural Economics, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI, USAFood integrity and food technologies both generate public concerns. There is little research to show the interactions between those concerns in particular samples, especially in Canada. In this paper, data from two national online samples are used to examine an aggregate of food integrity concerns, genetic modification in food, and food nanotechnology concerns in the Canadian public. A variety of trust, health, environmental, and science attitude variables are used to help explain the concerns that vary across the population. In addition, the food integrity concerns are tested as explanatory variables in the technology concern models to establish whether there is a strong or weak link between the two. Tobit and ordered probit regressions are used to model the variables for each of the survey samples. Results are examined to see if they are consistent across surveys and also consistent with an earlier study that was done in Australia. The results suggest that trust in people and trust in a variety of agents within the food system are beliefs that ameliorate concerns about food integrity and the two technologies. However, trust in advocacy organizations appears to be related to higher concerns in each case. Fundamentally and similar to the earlier Australian study, positive scientific attitudes are a major determinant of reduced concerns about food integrity and the two technologies.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2163526
spellingShingle Ellen Goddard
Violet Muringai
Albert Boaitey
Food Integrity and Food Technology Concerns in Canada: Evidence from Two Public Surveys
Journal of Food Quality
title Food Integrity and Food Technology Concerns in Canada: Evidence from Two Public Surveys
title_full Food Integrity and Food Technology Concerns in Canada: Evidence from Two Public Surveys
title_fullStr Food Integrity and Food Technology Concerns in Canada: Evidence from Two Public Surveys
title_full_unstemmed Food Integrity and Food Technology Concerns in Canada: Evidence from Two Public Surveys
title_short Food Integrity and Food Technology Concerns in Canada: Evidence from Two Public Surveys
title_sort food integrity and food technology concerns in canada evidence from two public surveys
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2163526
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