Food Protection Trends - November/December 2023 - 451

and 0.780 pooled Cohen's kappa for set 2 data, indicating
substantial agreement (21). Key themes were identified
based on this procedure, including concerns about foodborne
illness and motivators, barriers, and facilitators to purchasing
irradiated foods. Themes were identified as important either
because many participants expressed them or because a few
participants emphasized them through frequent references or
nonverbal cues.
RESULTS
We conducted seven focus groups (56 total participants):
three groups of parents of children aged 0-4 years (23
participants), two groups of adults aged 65 years and older
(17 participants), and two groups of adults aged 18-64
years (16 participants) (Table 2). Combining the parent
and adult groups, among the 56 participants, 39 (69%)
were aged 18-64 years and 17 (31%) were 65 years and
older. Twenty (35%) participants identified as male, and 36
(63%) participants identified as female. Thirty-four (60%)
participants identified as White, 18 (32%) participants
identified as Black or African American, and 4 (7%)
participants identified as Asian. Seven (12%) participants
identified as Hispanic, and nine (86%) participants identified
as non-Hispanic. Twenty-eight (49%) participants had
obtained a bachelor's degree or higher, and 45 (79%)
participants lived in suburban or urban settings. Thirtyone
(54%) participants agreed with the statement " I avoid
purchasing and eating GMO, or genetically modified, foods, "
and 29 (51%) participants agreed with the statement " As
much as possible, I only purchase and eat organic foods. "
Consumer knowledge of food irradiation
Most participants were not familiar with the term
irradiation, and the few who reported they had heard the
term mostly had limited knowledge of what irradiation is and
how it is used. Some participants in both older adult groups
included individuals who were familiar with irradiation,
including the process and purpose. One participant stated,
" It's used in a lot of different fields...primarily to sterilize
devices that are used in the hospital. And it makes total sense
to irradiate.... I mean it doesn't affect them otherwise. "
Perceived benefits of and concerns about food
irradiation
Benefits. Participants were read a description of food irradiation
and its benefits and were asked to discuss some potential
benefits and concerns with the process. Participants stated that
the primary benefit of food irradiation is to protect consumers
from foodborne illness. One participant stated, " But if the
foods don't become radioactive and it doesn't compromise the
quality of the foods, and if it kills bacteria like it says, 99.99,
then it sounds like a good practice to keep us safe. "
Concerns. Concerns related to food irradiation centered
on perceived short- and long-term health effects, reduction
in the quality and nutritional value of food, increase in price
from additional food processes, and general concerns related
to radiation and radioactivity. Parents of children aged 0-4
years were especially concerned about health effects that may
affect their children. One participant stated, " I'm concerned
more about the long-term.... I'm not concerned about myself.
More for my kids when they will grow up eating the stuff that
has been irradiated. So, what will be the effect on their bodies? "
Participants also had many questions about the technology.
Commonly asked questions were primarily related to the food
irradiation process, the effectiveness, the safety, and whether or
how irradiated foods are currently sold.
Barriers and facilitators to purchasing irradiated foods
Overall, we identified six themes common among participants
related to barriers and six themes related to facilitators
for purchasing irradiated foods generally and for ground beef
specifically. Barriers included general safety concerns about
irradiation, a lack of familiarity with irradiated foods, the
perception that irradiation is unnecessary, a general distrust
of food technology, higher price, and chub, or tube, packaging
(for ground beef specifically). Facilitators included lower
price, familiar tray packaging (for ground beef specifically),
general protection from foodborne illness, reduced risk
from certain foods, support from public health agencies, and
positive anecdotes and evidence demonstrating safety and
benefits of irradiated foods.
Barriers. Four themes related to barriers were identified
through discussion outside of the shopping scenarios. They
were general safety concerns about irradiation (as described
earlier), a lack of familiarity with irradiated foods, the
perception that irradiation is unnecessary, and a general
distrust of food technology. However, for general safety
concerns and a lack of familiarity, participants indicated
these barriers could be overcome with more education about
food irradiation. For example, those who identified a lack of
familiarity with irradiated foods as a reason they wouldn't
buy them also mentioned that they may purchase them after
learning more. One participant stated, " I don't know that,
like, I would go out and buy something right now, but hearing
more about it and the process...and researching it does make
me a little more comfortable. " For those who felt irradiation
was unnecessary, they often explained how they were able
to take care of food safety concerns at home, whether it be
through cooking or cleaning food. One participant stated,
" I mean you're going to bring it home, and you're going to
do whatever you have to do to make sure that it's clean and
it's safe for your family. " Another stated, " Unless I'm eating
it raw, I think the cooking process is going to take care of
most anything that I'd be concerned about anyway. " Lastly,
those who expressed a general distrust of food technology
often mentioned how foods can be overprocessed to extend
shelf life as opposed to natural and organic products that
they perceived as being healthier. One participant stated,
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