CONSUMER AWARENESS ABOUT IRRADIATED FOOD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Background: Food irradiation is a process used for various purposes, ensuring food safety being its major application. Nevertheless, the great majority of potential consumers of irradiated food are still unaware of the basic concepts of irradiation, misinterpreting information and demonstrating a negative attitude towards the process. Scope and approach: Despite extensive research in the world on the acceptance of irradiated food, no study has yet been published that contemplates an overview of consumers\' awareness of the consumption of irradiated food. Therefore, the objective of this work was to conduct a systematic review to demonstrate the state of the art of consumer awareness about food irradiation. Key findings and conclusions: Five databases were searched, resulting in 1,192 studies out of which 66 articles have met the inclusion criteria. It was concluded that most consumers are unaware of the benefits of irradiated food. Another finding from this research was the fact that educational actions favorable to irradiated food positively influence changes in consumers? attitudes, while unfavorable information leads to negative ones. Some developed countries, such as the United States, tend to have a better willingness to buy irradiated food, while others tend to impose a stronger resistance. Therefore, new trends in the field of education and dissemination of irradiated food to consumers should be thought of as new ways to foster consumer acceptance and develop new market relations.