Literature Review

Food safety is a concern nowadays for customers and for those who are in the professions of food
service and manufacturing industry (Scheule & Sneed, 2001). It is defined as the necessary
conditions and procedures during food production, processing, storing, distributing and final
preparation to safeguard its safety, health and wellbeing for our consumption (WHO, 2004).

Consumers can face a range of potential food risks through food selection decisions and
consumption behaviour. The psychological perceptions of specific risks are those that drive the
acceptance of such potential dietary risks and determine the risk or protective behaviour of people.
As such, it is necessary to understand exactly what consumers are concerned about (Miles et al.,
2004).

Through food selection decisions and consumption behaviour, consumers can be exposed to a
number of potential nutritional risks, associated with varying degrees of damage. They may be
related to various factors, such as farming techniques, food processing techniques, hygiene
standards at home and in the catering sector, and lack of personal knowledge and / or experience
(e.g., scope of risks or healthiness defence mechanisms) and availability of information (Slovic,
2000).

There is some indication of dissimilarities between experts and public perceptions on food safety
risks (Rowe & Wright, 2001). For example, although food safety specialists consider
microbiological threats to be the primary danger for food health, the public perception of the risk
of such risks is noticeably lesser than the apparent risk of other potential risks such as pesticides
and food additives (Brewer, Sprouls, & Russon, 1994).

Time was, expert groups used to complain that the overall priorities for risk mitigation are different
from those promoted by expert communities. Nevertheless, Frewer & Salter (2002) argue that the
firewalls formed between expert groups and the general public are no longer appropriate in a
climate of regulatory transparency and information availability. The emergence of "consumer
citizen" and the conscious choice of the consumer, and the diminishing role of "expert" as a result
of the wide availability of specialized information, also contribute to this conclusion.
Regulators must take into account consumer priorities for risk mitigation and technical risk
assessments when managing risks associated with food risks. Therefore, it is necessary to
understand exactly what concerns consumers.

There is evidence that public perception of different food safety issues (such as food poisoning,
fat consumption, chemical residues in food, and genetically modified food) is characterised by
quite different risk “profiles” (e.g. Frewer et al., 1994; Sparks and Shepherd, 1994; Fife-Schaw
and Rowe, 1996; Miles and Frewer, 2001; Kirk et al., 2002). Food hazards can be classified as
falling into a number of categories, including “technological” or “lifestyle”, in terms of how they
are perceived by consumers. The existence of such a classification has not, to date, been subject to
rigorous empirical testing. There is some evidences in the food industry that there exist differences
in perception of technological and lifestyle hazards, such that people believe that they have more
knowledge and more personal control over lifestyle hazards than technological hazards;
furthermore, some lifestyle hazards are judged to pose less of a risk than technological hazards
(Frewer et al., 1994).

Real consumer behaviour is often incompatible with their reported attitudes or concerns. This is
especially true with regard to health risks. Many consumers express concerns about food safety,
but relatively few seem to change their food buying behaviour due to their concerns. For example,
a survey by the NPD group in the United States assessing the gap between attitude and consumer
behaviour reported that people expressing concern about health problems associated with French
fries consumption increased by 39% between 1985 and 1990, but the number of eating them at
least once in 2 weeks decreased by only 7% (Rimal, Fletcher, McWatters, Misra, & Deodhar,
2001). In a national survey in the USA, more than 50% of the respondents said they preferred to
buy organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables, yet only a quarter said they actually bought
them on a regular basis.

In the United States, several local and national surveys have revealed consumer concerns about
the fat and cholesterol content in food, pesticides and bacterial contamination. These concerns are
likely to translate into market behaviour. Therefore, food policy makers and government policy
makers will have to respond to consumers' health concerns without significantly increasing their
costs. In this regard, the contradiction in consumer behaviour and behaviour becomes particularly
important (Rimal et al., 2001).
The controversy of Alar related to apples in 1989 and the post-Alar phenomenon revealed that
although consumers expressed concern about food safety, they were not willing to pay a higher
price for food grown organs or accept cosmetic damage. This raises the question of how the
industry responds to consumer safety concerns. Food irradiation, for example, is a potential
response to consumer safety concerns that have not been widely adopted by industry due to
uncertainty about consumer acceptance (Rimal et al., 2001).

On the word of Packer, some consumers changed their buying habits between 1989 and 1990 due
to concerns about pesticide residues in fresh products, although the change was not significant. In
contrast, more than 50% of respondents in a survey conducted by the University of Georgia
maintained the pattern of buying fresh produce despite the perceived high risks of pesticide
residues. In this study, the relationship between seven types of food safety concerns and the
corresponding change in food consumption habits is assessed. First, the study examines the gap
between public concerns and the corresponding change in food consumption habits. Second, it
assesses the impact of socioeconomic variables and attitudes on perceived food safety threats and
on the behavioral response to food safety threats. (Rimal et al., 2001).

Quality and safety are important elements in consumer perceptions of food and decision-making
related to food choice. Consumers are generally believed to prefer high-quality products. However,
the cognitive determinants underlying "quality" and "safety" are not sufficiently understood in
consumer behaviour. Moreover, the relationship between the two concepts has not been the subject
of extensive empirical investigation. Previous research has frequently dealt with the concepts of
quality and safety as two separate entities and, as a result, deals with only one or two concepts in
the development of research questions. In addition, food quality and safety are generally studied
in relation to specific products or product categories rather than general terms. This research aims
to examine the role of consumer perceptions of food quality and safety in the decision-making
process in general, and at the same time examine the possible relationship between them. In
addition, we will examine the relationship between quality, safety and traceability, since
traceability can have an impact on consumers' perceptions of both food safety and food quality
(Van Rijswijk & Frewer, 2008).

Food quality and food safety

It is important to understand perceptions and representations of quality and safety for consumers.
This is because consumers will base purchase decisions on these beliefs. However, quality and
safety are concepts that cannot be easily defined, as they are classified as fiduciary attributes (i.e.,
product attributes that the consumer cannot verify). Consumers are likely to receive quality or
safety perceptions of other product signals, whether substantial (e.g., product appearance) or
external signals (e.g., quality mark) (Nelson, 1970). Therefore, there is a need for a more detailed
examination of what consumers generally associate with food quality and safety, i.e. what do they
mean when they say a product is of good quality or safe for consumption?

In addition, the interrelationship between consumer perception of food quality and food safety
warrants further investigation. If consumers view quality and safety as independent attributes,
different decisions may be made depending on whether consumers focus on quality or safety issues
in their food choices. However, if the two concepts are interrelated and included by each other,
food choices may always include quality and safety decisions (Van Rijswijk & Frewer, 2008).

It seemed controversial to Van Rijswijk & Frewer (2008) that quality and safety observations are
just two important determinants of food choice. However, it is beyond the scope of this paper to
discuss all possible determinants of food selection, since food choice is a complex issue in which
many factors play a role, including factors that can be described as biological, psychological and
cultural. Indeed, perceptions of food quality and safety are likely to be influenced by these
psychological and cultural factors rather than by physiological product experiments alone.

Bangladeshi Consumers have the right to expect that the food consumed is safe and suitable for
consumption. However, food safety in the fruit and vegetable sector in Bangladesh is a topic of
growing interest to the consumer. Bangladeshi consumers have lost self-assurance in home-grown
foods. Lately, there have been numerous food safety occurrences that have been extensively
reported by the local press. The government of Bangladesh has established and implemented a
series of regulatory measures for the food industry, but fruit and vegetables with high levels of
harmful chemicals (insecticides and additives such as formalin) are still regularly available on the
market. Insecticides, which have been banned for more than 15 years due to their possible serious
health significances, have also been found in around 50% of vegetables and 35% of fruits.

In Bangladesh, The Food Safety Act 2013 was enacted by repealing and reminding existing old
laws on the subject. This 2013 law was passed to form a body that will ensure generous efforts by
food control agencies, food business operators and people in the country to achieve the primary
goal of establishing a modern food safety system in Bangladesh as required by the Government of
Vision 2021 accordingly, 2013, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) was established in
2015 (Rahman, 2017).

According to Rahman (2017), to assure effective consumer rights in Bangladesh, it is essential to

establish a distinct consumer court to deal with cases of defilement of consumer rights. Consumer
empowerment is also important so that affected consumers can sue offenders. Civil society and
the media must come forward to create awareness of consumer rights. Last but not least,
community leaders and dignitaries should contribute in the campaign to raise consumer awareness
and cognisant the government.

In Bangladesh, most processed or processed foods are not safe for consumption and are adulterated
to varying degrees. This problem persists at all levels of the food chain from preparation to
consumption. Food processors, processors, restaurants, fast food stores, etc. They are involved in
this corrupt practice of cheating using various harmful chemicals and toxic industrial colours. On
the other hand, perishable foods become toxic foods where they are stored, sold and presented to
consumers in an unhealthy atmosphere (Ali, 2015).

The range of chemicals and dyes used in food is beyond imagination. Calcium carbide is applied
to the ripening of fruits, formalin in fish, fruits, milk and vegetables as preservatives, brick powder
and spicy yellow dyes, urea for bleaching rice and puffed rice, sawdust in loose tea, soap in butter
and sweetener artificial, coal tar and textile dyes in sweets. Different dyes are used in sauces,
juices, lentils and oils. Sulphuric acid is used in condensation milk. Many restaurants use burned
motor oil for frying. Even cooking oil becomes poisonous due to the repetitive use of the same oil
in restaurants. We feel completely helpless when we get to know that between 70% and 90% of
the food products available in the markets are contaminated in one way or another (Ali, 2015).

1. Unhealthy practice in food treatment

Unhealthy food is an important cause of diarrheal diseases and malnutrition 1. In addition,

unhealthy food processing has a severe impact on export facilities in Bangladesh. For example, in
1997, the EU banned the import of shrimp from Bangladesh due to lack of adequate hygiene
standards in shrimp processing plants (Ali, 2015).
2. Usage of formalin, carbide and DDT

The supermarkets openly sell fruit, fish and vegetables that have been treated with formalin to
keep them fresh. Consumption of formalin directly through food can cause different types of
cancer, particularly lung cancer. The use of calcium carbide for food maturation, in particular
mangoes, produces various health problems such as headaches, dizziness, mood disorders,
drowsiness, mental confusion, memory loss and convulsions. DDT is commonly used in the
processing of dried fish. The use of DDT is an important reason for cancer, especially in the breast,
liver, pancreas and some reproductive problems (Ali, 2015).

3. Usage of poisonous colours in food

In general, these harmful colours are used to make food attractive, attractive and appetizing5.
These are applied in various types of sweets, some cultural foods called begini, peaju. These can
create indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, allergies, asthma, different types of neurological diseases
and even cancer (Ali, 2015).

4. Other food adulterations

Puffed rice is spewed with urea, fertilizer and cadmium. Urea is extremely dangerous to the human
body and can create many cancers and ulcers. Exposure to cadmium is associated with kidney
disease. The motivation for profit-taking at all costs and moral degradation among food traders is
the root cause of all bad practices. Producers, farmers, processors, carriers, intermediaries and
vendors are somewhat involved in this process. Lack of awareness, abandonment and indifference
among consumers are also obstacles to ensuring food security. People are not aware about our
consumer rights (Ali, 2015).

Access to safe and nutritious food along with food security is of paramount importance to reach
the goal of developing the millennium of reducing hunger and malnutrition in Bangladesh by 2015.
The theme of this year's World Health Day is "Food security", which is very relevant and close in
the context of Bangladesh. Everyone's collective effort can reduce the adulteration of food, which
is a punishable offense and the government must take serious action against it. The government,
along with non-governmental and private sectors, must develop a national plan to raise public
awareness about food safety and health risks (Ali, 2015).
However, the good news is that the Bangladesh government has begun implementing the Safe
Food Law of 2013 to February 2015 to combat adulteration and protect public health. Everyone
should work towards the common motto: safe food from the farm to the plate. Only in this way
will it be possible to guarantee food safety.
 References
1. Ali, M. Y. (2015). Food Safety in Bangladesh. Faridpur Medical College Journal, 9(2),
60. https://doi.org/10.3329/fmcj.v9i2.25674
2. Frewer, L., & Salter, B. (2002). Public attitudes, scientific advice and the politics of
regulatory policy: The case of BSE. Science and Public Policy, 29(2), 137–145.
https://doi.org/10.3152/147154302781781092
3. Miles, S., Brennan, M., Kuznesof, S., Ness, M., Ritson, C., & Frewer, L. J. (2004). Public
worry about specific food safety issues. British Food Journal, 106(1), 9–22.
https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700410515172
4. Nelson, P. (n.d.). Information and Consumer Behavior. Journal of Political Economy,
Vol. 78, pp. 311–329. https://doi.org/10.2307/1830691
5. Rahman, B. (2017, August 29). Food Safety in Bangladesh: Challenges and Concerns |
2017-08-29. Maynal Hossain Chowdhury on Behalf of East West Media Group Limited.
Retrieved from https://www.daily-sun.com/post/251275/Food-Safety-in-Bangladesh:-
Challenges-and-Concerns
6. Rimal, A., Fletcher, S. M., McWatters, K. H., Misra, S. K., & Deodhar, S. (2001).
Perception of food safety and changes in food consumption habits: A consumer analysis.
International Journal of Consumer Studies, 25(1), 43–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-
6431.2001.00162.x
7. Rowe, G., & Wright, G. (2001). Expert Opinions in Forecasting: The Role of the Delphi
Technique (pp. 125–144). pp. 125–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-47630-3_7
8. Slovic, P. (2000). The Perception of Risk (Earthscan Risk in Society). London:
Routledge.
9. Van Rijswijk, W., & Frewer, L. J. (2008). Consumer perceptions of food quality and
safety and their relation to traceability. British Food Journal, 110(10), 1034–1046.
https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700810906642

10.Brewer, M., Sprouls, G., & Russon, C. (1994). Consumer attitudes towards food safety.
Journal of Food Safety, 63-76.
11. Scheule, B., & Sneed, J. (2001). From farm to fork: Critical control. Journal of Nutrition
in Recipe and Menu Development, 3–27.

12. WHO. (2004, December 02). A five keys strategy to safer food. Second Global Forum of
Food Safety Regulators. Retrieved from World Health Organisation: http://www.who.int/