Awareness of irradiated food consumption between Brazil and Argentina

Abstract Although food irradiation has been commonly used to ensure food safety, most consumers are unaware of the basic concepts of irradiation, misinterpreting information and showing a negative attitude towards food treated with ionizing radiation. The present research aimed to compare the responses of Argentine and Brazilian subjects to the Awareness Scale on Consumption of Irradiated Foods (ASCIF) to assess the consumption awareness related to these foods between the two Latin American populations. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committees of both Brazil and Argentina, following the adaptation methodologies recommended by the International Test Commission (ITC), complying with the guidelines for translations and retranslations, as well as for the application of this instrument in Argentina. The instrument included 31 items, encompassing four factors: irradiated foods’ Safety (S), Concepts (C), Labeling (L) and Awareness (A), to assess the Argentine population’s knowledge of irradiated foods. Statistical tests were performed to guide the data analysis, providing the results for the present research. The Paired t-Test was used to compare the scales applied in Brazil and Argentina. In conclusion, the results revealed that most Argentine and Brazilian consumers are unaware of the benefits of irradiated foods.