This section has presented an overview of the literature relating to consumer behaviour as related to the research context. It started by providing an introduction to consumer behaviour and progressed by discussing communication from an information modality perspective. Following this, it has presented a review of the peculiarities of consumer food information processing which led to the discussion of consumer food behaviour. Consequently, risk communication and ICT was discussed in terms of information presentation, information content, information delivery channels and information sources while concluding with a critical reflection on the section. The findings within
61
this section have identified the following key points and gaps in the existing body of literature;
An assessment of Macinnis’ (2004) consumer behaviour framework reveals that a large part of the decision making process depends on the information and knowledge available to the consumer. Though numerous research have been conducted on the impact of diverse information modalities on consumer knowledge, yet it is still unclear how the acquired knowledge can be translated to corresponding behaviour.
This research has uncovered a gap in our knowledge on consumer understanding, knowledge retention and the corresponding translation into behaviour of safe food handling and management which may well be a medium to high involvement task; thus requiring investigation.
It is imperative to investigate the norms, attitude and behaviour of the target audience (consumers) in relation to food but more specifically food handling and management practices.
There is a need to investigate the influence and use of ICTs and its complexities (information presentation, information delivery channels, information content and information sources) on consumers’ food management knowledge retention and behaviours.
Food Safety: An IT Perspective 2.4
This presents an overview of the literature relating to food safety from an IT perspective. It discusses food safety with an IT lens in terms of presenting introductory information about food chains, explaining food safety while ensuring a distinction between food safety and food quality. In addition, it discusses the regulatory solutions to food safety issues, presents recent research on safe food management from an IT perspective while concluding with a critical reflection. It is however important to note here that the aim of this review is not to critique food safety research but rather to review, summarise and identify gaps in the domain where information systems might be suitable to improve, enhance or mitigate problems.
2.4.1 An Introduction to the Food Chain
The food supply chain is characterised by the transformation of raw materials to products that can be easily bought, prepared and consumed through the movement of food from the farm to the consumer. Food procurement and manufacturing companies, wholesale and distribution firms, brokers, food service firms, restaurants and retail grocery firms are all embedded within this chain (King and Phumpiu, 1996). This chain is also known for large volume and variety of products. Besides these characteristics, the Table 2-7 shows a more detailed view of the peculiarities of the food chain based on evidence from the literature.
Table 2-7: Peculiarities of the Food Chain
Source: Author based on evidence from the literature
Issues Factors influencing the food chain; thus making it unique
Participatory level
Growers Manufacturers Consumers
Hazardous weather (Fredriksson and Liljestrand, 2015)
Continuous quest to accurately assess demand (Lütke Entrup, 2005, Shukla and Jharkharia, 2013).
Require more information about the sources of the products and its contents (Price et al., 2016, Reid and Rout, 2016).
Increase in input costs (Acharya et al., 2009) Synchronization of plans with retailers (Fredriksson and Liljestrand, 2015). Changing dietary requirements (Dubowitz et al., 2015, Cummins et al., 2014) Uncertainties in demand (Fredriksson and Liljestrand, 2015) Volatile market prices (Gilbert, 2010, Prakash and l'agriculture, 2011)
Food Safety Adhering to regulatory requirements for growers, manufacturers and retailers (Ryan et al., 2010, Henson, 2008)
Domestic food handling and management (Kosa et al., 2015, Sneed et al., 2015, Donelan et al., 2016)
Food Security and sustainability issues
Climate change, food wastage, change in consumer patterns, contamination and recalls, water sources, population growth, and the volume of energy consumption by the food industry (Hamprecht et al., 2005, Vasileiou and
63
Morris, 2006, Oglethorpe and Heron, 2010).
Part of the major issues facing the food industry today, concerns food quality and safety. These issues have led to awful food crises such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) (Kelepouris et al., 2007), dioxin (Beulens et al., 2005), classic swine fever, foot and mouth disease (van Dorp, 2003, van Rijswijk et al., 2008) causing a global attraction of attention. This is because of the huge impact on the physical health of the consumers, as well as the wellbeing of businesses within the industry (Jansen-Vullers et al., 2003). As the production and consumption of food is inevitable for any society, it becomes imperative to consider the health-related, social and economic influences of these concerns.
2.4.1.1 Health-related Outcomes
Food safety is still a global source of concern based on its potential to cause significant foodborne sicknesses, and in some cases deaths, due to the inadequacies of one or more actors of the supply chain – farmers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers (Lazou et al., 2012, Gong et al., 2016, Bai et al., 2014). Based on the unavailability of reliable data, it is difficult to estimate the global incidence but it has been reported that about 550 million persons fall ill out of which 230,000 die annually due to food borne diseases (WHO, 2015). As many of these cases are sporadic and are due to small outbreaks originating from the home (Lazou et al., 2012), this does not only highlight that these cases are largely underestimated and underreported (EFSA, 2012, WHO, 2015) but also underscores the fact that the consumer is a fundamental component of the food chain (Hassan and Dimassi, 2014). Therefore, for regulatory efforts to be effective, it must incorporate safe food management and handling practices such as safe food purchase, transportation, storage and preparation within the home environment (Kennedy et al., 2005, Hassan and Dimassi, 2014).
2.4.1.2 Social Outcomes
Due to the concerns associated with the health-related outcomes (see section 2.4.1.1) and economic outcomes (see section 2.4.1.3), government agencies and the food industry as a whole have been involved with building capacity in order to ensure food safety which also empowers the social and political security of a nation (Bosona and Gebresenbet, 2013).
On the other hand, consumers are more interested in knowing more about the provenance, quality and safety of their food and this has contributed to the shift from quantity to quality and safety oriented agriculture (Salampasis et al., 2012). Such shifts are largely due to changing lifestyles, increase in income of consumers, increase in awareness of health and weight control (Kimura et al., 2008) and the fear of illnesses and death through food borne diseases; thus making them desire fresh, palatable, nutritious and more importantly, safe food (Bosona and Gebresenbet, 2013).
2.4.1.3 Economic Outcomes
Food related illnesses do not only have their influences on the consumers’ health, it also affects the food industry and the economy at large (WHO, 2002). Once consumers are affected, health-care systems become involved and ultimately the economic productivity becomes affected (Aung and Chang, 2014).
In the United States, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that about 48 million people (1 in 6) are affected by foodborne diseases (CDC, 2011) which costs about $77.7 billion annually (Scharff, 2012). In New Zealand, about 3241 per 100 000 population are annually affected which costs a total of NZ$55.1 million annually, while NZ$48.1 million is the cost for loss of productivity (Scott et al., 2000). In Australia, it is estimated that about 5.4 million people are affected, which costs about AU$1.2 billion annually (Hall et al., 2005, AIHW, 2011).
Therefore, this reveals that public health issues such as food poisoning or foodborne diseases, due to food safety lapses that occurred somewhere along the supply chain and/or within the regulatory system or even in the consumer home, could have grave consequences.