Running head: PERCEPTION ON CURRENT FOOD SAFETY 1

People Perception on the Effects of the Corona Virus Pandemic to Food Safety and Security

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PERCEPTION ON CURRENT FOOD SAFETY 2

INTRODUCTION
With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic (SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus), from China,
this is already the third record of zoonotic coronavirus infection in large human populations in
the past two decades in the world. With the need for social isolation actions, given the high
absolute number infections, deaths and the imminent collapse of health systems, the consequent
economic repercussions of the Covid-19 outbreak are already becoming reality. It is observed
abrupt drop in supply and demand in most economic activities and clear signs worldwide
recession Mina, & Harrison, (2020). From this panorama of crisis, which is still being outlined,
the world is expected to search for measures and solutions that go beyond its confrontation
minimizing damage and the possibility of new occurrences in the future. In this context, food
security, and more specifically the food chains, should gain special relevance, both in strategic
terms and in need immediate responses Goodyear-Smith et al., (2020). First of all, the concern
should focus on food security, in order to guarantee safe food supply, in a moment when health
problems can affect the dynamics of the chains supply, in parallel with the decrease in the
population's food safety. The first research question is: What is the perception on the effects of
Covid-19 to food safety and if there are changes encountered on food safety sector due to
coronavirus? And the second research question is: Do the encountered food safety issues due to
Covid-19 contribute to the change on behaviour in handling food staff e.g. buying and cooking?
Significance of the Study
The study is important for the food industry and the marketing department to understand
if there exist food safety issues and the also understand the change in food safety perceptions due
to the current Covid-19 pandemic. The hypothesis testing on the correlation of change in
behaviour of handling food staff and if the consumer had experienced any food safety issue will
be modelled.
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
The methodology chapter explains the method and the tools used to gather the data that is
required to answer the research questions. This chapter contains the research design of the study,
the methods that was used to collect data and the methods and tools used to discuss the finding of
the study
Research Design
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Design is the arrangement of desired condition from any gathered data in way that is easy
in understanding and also analysing it. The combining of the methods and the tools used in the
study is mostly focused in the research design Johansson, (2019). The structure representation
should have the economy status in mind during the selection of the study design to use. The
researcher is faced with difficulties, such as choosing the data collection method, a vital step for
the success of the objective. The study tied, through what was evidenced, to present to the reader,
in a clear and objective, one of these methods: the questionnaire, to make it closer and touchable
by higher education student. This method, which, if used correctly, is a powerful instrument in
obtaining information, having a reasonable cost, guaranteeing anonymity and, being easy to
handle in the standardization of data, it ensures uniformity. Stay clear, so, this is a model that
was applied in this study since it is easy to apply, simple, inexpensive, and fully capable of
enabling students to develop their research and achieve the longed for and fundamental status of
researcher. To understand the perception of the food consumers and the changes that have been
experienced due to the coronavirus adequate quantitative analysis was conducted and the data on
the finding represented in vivid charts. For generating the charts needed to explain the
demographics of the respondents the SPSS was used.
Data Collection
The well set questionnaires directed to the target respondents wired through WhatsApp
and WeChat. The survey had both open and closed inquiries. The sample respondents were food
consumers in the world. A multi-staged selection method was used and the 109 respondent were
tested. Discretion and obscurity was a key while running the interview to assert on ethical morals
of the study.
Data Analysis
For the study data analysis, measurable and the qualitative method of analysing findings
was assumed Sedlmair, (2018). The figures such as counts consistence that is used to check the
figures response and the inferential statistics such as charts tabulations was used widely in this
study. The relationship between the responses was discussed in the charts provided by the SPSS,
the software widely used in the study to generate all the data presentations needed in the study.

RESULTS ANALYSIS
Introduction
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The findings of the administered questionnaire were discussed in this chapter. Different
methods as mentioned in the study design was adopted to illustrate the finding of this study.
Histograms and pie charts were much employed and discussion on what the charts presents done.
The conclusion on the perception also given in this chapter.
Gender of the Respondent
In a quest to understand some demographic data of the respondents, the gender of the
respondents was asked. The chart below represents a vivid picture of the respondent’s gender.

There was 59 percent of the female respondents, while 39 percent were male while 2
percent preferred not to disclose their gender. There exists a very big difference between the
genders of the respondents. Though this haven’t been viewed as a problem affecting the choice
of the safety food measure. One of the biggest myth in World is that choice of food to be
consumed in a household is mostly determined by the female gender. In a way this might affect
the interests of the opposite gender food consumption wise.
Age of the Respondent
In a pursuit to understand some demographic data of the respondents, the age of the
respondents was asked in the questionnaire. The chart below represents a colourful pie picture of
the respondent’s age.
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The respondent gender was grouped in two interval groups that is from 15-29 and 30-45
years old. The need to understand the age of the respondent is crucial due to the fact that most of
the age group that is online is between the ages of 20-35. In the results 96 percent of the
respondents were in between 15-29 and 3.67 respondents were of the age 30-45 years old.
Level of Education of the Respondent
To understand the level of education of the respondent. The interviewer asked the
question on the highest level of education. The data on the finding is represented in the pie chart
below.
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Most of the respondents were undertaking full time master level amounting to 41 percent.
The Following large group of respondents were taking full time bachelor. 0.9 percent was in
vocational school that is count 1 of the total 109 respondents. 17 percent was full time working
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while 4 and 1.8 percent other studies and PhD or higher level of education respectively. The
exposure level of the respondent and food safety measure or the ability to identify change in a
wave of food safety can be determined by the age or even the level of education.
Respondent Place of Getting the Grocery
To understand the level of health safety, knowing the place of shopping would play a big
role. For this reason, the respondents were asked to give they place of choice of getting the
grocery. The response is presented in the chart below.

Almost 90 percent of the respondents got their grocery from the supermarket. The choice
of picking the grocery is affected by the quarantine and most of the respondent were forced to
order their staff online. The rating of the health and food safety in most cases requires the visual
analysis of the consumer to the storage place of the products Gong, (2020). The only food safety
rating on online grocery is just the expiry and cleanliness. Market performance is also affected
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by the Pandemic and only 10 percent of the respondents got their grocery commodities from the
market.
Knowledge on Food Safety Related to COVID-19
Food safety is supposed to be something known to all citizen and the news on the same
also widely known. The respondents were supposed to answer if they knew any news about food
safety due to corona. The findings are represented in the pie chart below.

61.57 Percent knew some news about food safety issue all around the world due to
Covid-19. 38.53 percent didn’t know about any food safety news, also in understanding if the
respondent thought more on Food safety due to corona, the question on if they think more on
food safety was asked and the data is represented in the figure below.
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45 percent of the respondent were found to think more on food safety due to corona while
34 percent didn’t think more on food safety due to corona. Even though 10 percent were not sure
if they think more on food safety due to the Virus.
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Food Safety Issue Encounter Related to Covid-19 And Non-Related

The respondents were supposed to answer if they had encountered any food safety issue
related to the pandemic or not.
The two charts below represent their responses.
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In the table below 84 percent of the respondent had not encountered any encountered any
food safety issue. 33 percent had encountered some food safety issue not related to Covid-10
while 11 encountered some that are related to Covid-19.
Food Safety Behavior Change Due to Encountered Issue On Food Safety Due to Covid-19
Behavior changes due to an encountered issue might affect the perception of the
consumers. To test the hypothesis if encountered issues affect the behavior change the following
model was set
H0: Encountered food safety issues does not affect the consumer behavior in terms of buying and
cooking food
H1: Encountered food safety issues affect the consumer behavior in terms of buying and cooking
food

The model;

Y=B0+B1X+E
Y= Behavior Change (Cooking and Buying certain foods)
X= ever encountered food safety issues related to COVID-19 (callbacks of products for
example).
E=error
From the table below the values the model
Y=1.02+0.109XE
Using 0.05 as the level of significance we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that if the
consumer encountered a food safety issue it influenced the behavior change in terms of handling
foods due to Covid-19 since the coefficient significance is 0.335 which is greater than 0.05. The
t-test used since the data was nominal and the variable being modelled are two.
Coefficientsa
Model Unstandardized Standardized t Sig.
Coefficients Coefficients
B Std. Error Beta
1 (Constant) 1.026 .145 7.082 .000
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ever encountered food

safety issues related to
COVID-19 (callbacks
.109 .113 .093 .968 .335
of products for
example)? - Selected
Choice
a. Dependent Variable: Behaviour Change (Cooking and Buying certain foods)
Conclusion
In conclusion of the study. The market choice and the reliability of the market have been
affected by the Pandemic. The perception of consumers on food safety has also been affected by
the pandemic in that there is a belief of the virus origination from sea food. The knowledge of
people on the food safety was tested and most of the respondent had an idea of food safety. The
encounter level of food safety issues due to the virus was minimal comparison to the rate of food
safety issue not related to the virus.
CRITICAL REFLECTION
Limitation of The Methodology
The methodology of the study is most of times faced by different limitation making it
difficult to conduct or even to conclude on the study findings. Having in mind that the study
adopted the questionnaire method, the following are the laid limitations of this study
methodology
1. Risk of being a source breach of confidentiality. Although the online questionnaire in the
study are to be anonymous, the researcher or any other stakeholder with access to the
internet can use the personal information received in conducting the study for other
purposes if desired
2. Lack of environmental contact with the respondent (impossibility of his or her
environmental factors identification).
3. The distribution is too narrow and can cause an imbalance and the sample size is not
large enough.

Advantages of the survey

The following are the advantages of the survey
1. Using such a survey saves on the amount of the money used since it is cheap
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2. The survey was used to collect the qualitative data that was very useful in the study’s
conclusion.
3. The surveys were easy to construct and also simple to implement.

The Reliability and the Validity of the Survey

The questions asked in this survey directly gets the answers on the topic at hand. The
changes in the perception of food safety and the encounter level of food safety due to Covid-19
are handled in the questions. The survey is also valid as the questions are handled by
intermediate food consumers. Lack of missing values on the crucial questions made the data
reliable. The consent in completion of the survey was also crucial in the study survey.  In some
studies, done to understand the effects of questionnaire as the method of data collection and the
study of behaviour research shows that this method can have and the physiological harm to the
respondent due to the conscience dilemma on the use of the data given. To avoid this the
intentions and the use of the data was made known to all the respondents handling the questions.
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References
Goodyear-Smith, F., Kinder, K., Mannie, C., Strydom, S., Bazemore, A., & Phillips, R. L.
(2020). Relationship between the perceived strength of countries’ primary care system
and COVID-19 mortality: an international survey study. BJGP Open.
Johansson, R. (2019). On case study methodology. Open house international, 32(3), 48.
Sedlmair, M., Meyer, M., & Munzner, T. (2018). Design study methodology: Reflections from
the trenches and the stacks. IEEE transactions on visualization and computer
graphics, 18(12), 2431-2440.
Gong, L. (2020). Study on Background of food safety traditions. Asian food Science, 6(2), 60-66.
Mina, & Harrison, S. E. (2020). Impact of cognitive flexibility on rapid effects of Covid-
19. Covid-19 Review Journal, 39(3), 273-290.
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Appendix

Attached here is the syntax file that was used. Clicking the Icon will take you to the file.

Syntax1.sps