Food safety issues, consumer food safety concerns, and food consumption

Scope and method of study. An overview of the general aspects of the issues related to food safety was made. The social and economic impacts of food safety issues were discussed. The long-run impacts of consumer concerns in food safety on the consumption of twenty most popular fresh produce items and four major food groups (fresh produce, red meats, poultry, and dairy products) in the United States for the period of 1970-92 were examined. An information index was constructed to reflect consumer food safety concerns. Double-Log, Rotterdam, and AIDS models were modified; "SURE" method was used for estimation.; Findings and conclusions. Issues related to consumer food safety concerns were found to have considerable impacts on changing consumer preference, consumption patterns, and the general food industry. The preference for and sale of fresh produce and organic foods were growing. Intra-industry integration and private testing were increasing. Food safety concerns had a significant impact on the consumption of most major fresh produce items when analyzed in isolation of the consumption of the other food products, but did not have a significant impact on the consumption of the four major food groups in the study in the United States during the study period.