Consumer attitudes, knowledge and behaviour: a review of food safety issues

Consumers' attitudes have been shown to influence and predict behaviour. This review highlights the diverse consumer attitudes towards the safety of food. The diversity among consumers is based on a variety of factors, including demographics and socio-economic status. The relationship between consumer attitudes, knowledge and behaviour regarding food safety is also examined in this paper. It indicates that different attitudes do not necessarily lead to behaviours that increase the safety of the food consumed. it can be concluded that there exists the need for professional assistance for consumers regarding food safety issues. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.