@article{Greehy:122006,
      recid = {122006},
      author = {Greehy, Grainne and McCarthy, Mary and Henchion, Maeve M.  and Dillon, Emma J. and McCarthy, Sinead},
      title = {An Exploration of Irish Consumer Acceptance of  Nanotechnology Applications in Food},
      address = {2011-11},
      number = {1019-2016-81704},
      pages = {24},
      year = {2011},
      abstract = {Nanotechnology has come to the attention of food  stakeholders in recent years. It offers many potential  benefits to food companies and consumers, for example the  ability to produce healthier food without compromising  taste, but it has also generated much debate, in particular  about potential unknown risks associated with food  applications of nanotechnology. This research provides some  insights into Irish consumer acceptance of food related  applications of nanotechnology and details the determining  factors framing consumers’ attitudes. Key issues  investigated include consumers’ awareness of and attitudes  towards nanotechnology, the subjective values (including  perceived risk-benefit trade-offs) that frame these  attitudes and the influence of new information on  consumers’ attitudes and acceptance. An innovative  methodology was applied involving observations of a  one-to-one deliberative discourse between a food scientist  specialising in nanotechnology research and consumers. The  aim of this research was to understand the evolving  perspectives of the individual consumer as information was  presented to them. During the discourse, the scientist  presented a number of pre-defined hypothetical scenarios,  illustrating benefits and risks of different food  applications of nanotechnology in an effort to establish  ‘tipping points’ in consumer acceptance. In-depth pre and  post-discourse interviews were also completed with  participants (n = 7; 21 observations in total) to determine  the perceived influence of the discourse on consumers’  acceptance and the factors contributing to any attitudinal  change. Thematic analysis was undertaken with the support  of the software package NVivo8. A brief questionnaire was  completed by participating consumers to support some of the  qualitative findings. While participants were unfamiliar  with the concept of using nanotechnology in food  production, in general, new information appeared to  positively impact their attitudes towards food applications  of nanotechnology. This increased their perceived  likelihood of purchasing foods that incorporated  nanotechnology applications during processing or packaging.  Consumers were more accepting of the different applications  presented if they perceived the associated personal and  societal benefits to outweigh potential risks. However,  consumers were not homogenous in their perceptions of the  applications. Product characteristics (e.g. perceived  naturalness), subjective values including the perceived  individual relevance of such ‘nano food’ products,  individual risk assessments, trust in stakeholders and  personal control, general risk sensitivity and attitudes  towards technology, familial relevance of such  applications, and societal and environmental factors framed  consumers’ attitudes towards the nanotechnology  applications presented. Furthermore, acceptance was  conditional on potential risks being adequately addressed  before ‘nano foods’ reach the market. How risks are  ‘adequately addressed’ is a key question emerging from this  research. As a small number of consumers participated in  this study, the findings presented are by no means  representative of Irish consumers. However, the diversity  of factors framing participants’ attitudes and acceptance  indicates the relevance of the issues raised at a broader  level.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/122006},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.122006},
}