Public acceptance of radiocontamination in food products: what can we learn for a better decision-making?

This contribution investigates consumer’s risk perception and attitude towards food products containing residual radioactivity. The data originate from a large-scale public opinion survey carried out in Belgium in the summer of 2009 on the basis of computer assisted personal interviews. It is assumed that the products under discussion satisfy the legal norms concerning the maximal allowable levels of radioactive substances in food. Risk perception of residues of radioactivity in food products, consumer’s attitude and a number of factors that could influence it are explored in our study: acceptance of food legal norms, attitude towards nuclear energy and psychometric factors such as disaster potential and tampering with nature. The results are interpreted in the context of practical implications for the decision making process in nuclear emergency management.