Food Protection Trends - November/December 2023 - 455

radiated products cannot be labeled organic regardless of how
they are produced and grown (32), although whether focus
group participants were aware that irradiated foods could not
be labeled organic was not explored in this study. Consumers
who intentionally seek organic foods may do so from the
perspective of absence claims tied to health concerns, such as
the absence of pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, antibiotics,
and genetically modified foods (9). The organic food
market has grown rapidly (30), and it is possible that if more
irradiated foods were to become available in the marketplace,
consumers who prioritize the benefits of organic (perceived
health claims) over the benefits of irradiated foods (reduction
in pathogens) would decide to not purchase irradiated foods.
Further exploration of how attitudes toward organic food or
other food technology affect decisions to purchase irradiated
foods is warranted.
Limitations
We used qualitative methods, which are not intended to
yield results that can be generalized to the overall population.
The findings reported are only indicative of the knowledge
and beliefs of the participants from these focus groups.
In addition, these focus groups were conducted virtually
during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. It is likely that the
participants may have experienced a heightened awareness of
outbreaks or a distrust of government (25) during this time,
which may have affected the discussion and results.
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Public health implications
Irradiation remains an underutilized food safety tool
in the United States, despite its potential for significant
public health benefit. The findings from these groups
helped to revisit consumer acceptance of irradiated foods
by identifying key barriers and facilitators for purchasing
irradiated products. Consumer acceptance is often cited as
a significant hurdle in wider adoption, yet the results from
these groups, along with past research in this area, suggest
that some consumers are willing to purchase irradiated
foods, some additional consumers may be interested in
purchasing irradiated foods once they learn more about it,
and consumers may be particularly interested in irradiation
for foods that have been frequently linked to outbreaks
(e.g., leafy greens and ground beef). A collaborative effort
among public and private organizations to increase both
knowledge about the benefits of and access to irradiated food
could greatly affect consumer acceptance and purchasing of
irradiated food within the current market.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Hager Sharp for work on this project. The
findings and conclusions in this article are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent the official position
of the CDC.
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