Do Environmental Attitudes and Food Technology Neophobia Affect Perceptions of the Benefits of Nanotechnology?

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An international team of researchers investigated Canadian attitudes toward nanotechnology, and its applications in the food industry. A significant amount of research in recent years has focused on consumers’ aversion to new technologies – neophobia - in food production and processing, with other research showing that environmental attitudes may be related to the purchasing behavior of consumers. 

They examined the relationship between the food technology neophobia scale, environmental attitudes, and nanotechnology. 

The results of this study show food technology neophobia is significant in explaining attitudes toward nanotechnology in general, and for food packaging and foods. Environmental attitudes, however, while important in explaining respondents’ attitudes toward nanotechnology in general, do not explain attitudes toward nanotechnology in food packaging or food applications. 

The researchers also found that respondents’ views of whether science and technology make society worse or better off was a more important determinant of attitudes toward nanotechnology than if they had heard of nanotechnology prior to the survey.

Source: International Journal of Consumer Studies

Author(s): Anahita Hosseini Matin, Ellen Goddard, 

Frédéric Vandermoere, Sandrine Blanchemanche, 

Andrea Bieberstein, Stephan Marette, and Jutta Roosen 

The original article may still be available at 

Fonte: Meridian Institute