Analysis on the consumer disposition to afford the cost of food processed by ionizing radiation

The concept of food quality, in the consumer point of view, reflects the satisfaction of characteristics such as flavor, aroma, appearance, packaging and availability. Economic and social factors, such as cost and eating habits, generally, also influence the choice of a product. Irradiation is an effective technique in food preservation because it reduces the losses caused by natural physiological processes, either reducing or eliminating microorganisms, parasites and pests without causing any damage to the foods and, thus, making them safer to consumers. Nevertheless, there may be an increase in the cost of foods. Research indicates that practicality is already a deep-rooted feature of consumers. The price may be a limiting factor to the popularization of the irradiated product, although some consumers consider that, due to the avoidance of waste, the increased cost may be feasible. The objective of this study was to analyze the cost of using food irradiation technology and verify (a) whether consumers, when informed of the benefits in food safety, are willing to pay for this treatment and (b) how much they are willing to pay. The methodology consisted of a study on the economic feasibility of food irradiation technology by means of a systematic survey of the literature, in order to verify the cost of this process implementation and the increase in costs for the producer. Also, a survey was conducted in an Institution of Superior Education about the consumer's willingness to pay for this higher price. The study results indicate a rise in costs to the producer, ranging from $ 0.01 to U.S. $ 0.25 per pound; it was also found that 75% of the consumers surveyed are willing to pay more for irradiated food. From these results it was concluded that the higher the consumption power is, the greater the willingness to afford the additional cost irradiated foods have. (author)