Food Neophobia in Consumers

Although the food sector is not characterized by a particularly high technological innovation rate, the use of modern technologies is often associated by many consumers with a feeling of discomfort and fear. In fact, the relationship of humans with food is connoted by two apparently conflicting attitudes (neophilia and neophobia), which are the basis of the so called “omnivore's paradox”: a behavioral paradox that generates anxiety that is the coexisting presence of demand driven by the curiosity and by great caution for novelty. The level of acceptability of food technologies has been linked with some main factors: the perceived personal and societal benefits (on health, economic, environmental), the perceived personal and societal risks, perceived scientific knowledge/uncertainty. Also the preference for naturalness and personal values emerged as important factors in determining the level of acceptability for food with a high technological content. Scientific research has shown that major concerns toward food technologies have been identified for genetic technology, nanotechnologies, and the use of irradiation. In order to identify and measure attitudes towards neophobia, risk perception and trust in science, in the field of cognitive psychology different psychometric scales have been developed and tested. The Food Technology Neophobia Scale (FTNS) is the scale that has shown the greatest predictive validity and explicitly considers among its factors the perception of the benefits and the perception of risks associated with food technology.