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Food safety and cognitive biases: what we know, what we need to know, and why

Harvey S. James, Michelle Segovia, Damilola Giwa-Daramola

British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Article publication date: 4 July 2023

Issue publication date: 10 October 2023

343

Abstract

Purpose

The authors review the small but growing literature linking cognitive biases to food safety problems and foodborne illness outbreaks.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a search of peer-reviewed articles utilizing empirical methods published since the year 2000 focusing on food safety or foodborne illnesses/outbreaks and cognitive biases.

Findings

The authors find that most research is conducted at the consumer side of the food system, with few studies examining the potential problems that can arise in the production and processing of food. The authors also observe that most research tends to focus on a few cognitive biases.

Originality/value

This is the most comprehensive study to date examining insights from the literature on cognitive biases and the related discipline of behavioral economics to the specific problem of foodborne illness outbreaks and food safety problems.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This paper was supported by Hatch project number MO-AC011AC047.

Citation

James, H.S., Segovia, M. and Giwa-Daramola, D. (2023), "Food safety and cognitive biases: what we know, what we need to know, and why", British Food Journal, Vol. 125 No. 10, pp. 3717-3733. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-09-2022-0824

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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