How fear mongering affects produce consumption
“We were surprised to see how informational content that named specific fruits and vegetables as having the highest pesticide residues, increased the percentage of shoppers who said they would be unlikely to purchase any type of fruits and vegetables,” said Dr. Britt Burton-Freeman, associate professor of food science and nutrition at the Center for Nutrition Research.
“It’s concerning that people are ignoring the health benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables and listening to incorrect marketing messages from groups and companies that are anti-ag or pro-organic—and that those messages are being perpetuated by some media outlets. There is ample, undisputed research out there that supports the importance of fresh produce in a healthy diet.”
“This new study shows what we have been concerned about for some time, that safety fears may be another barrier to consumption of these healthy and nutritious foods. The impact of the fear-based messaging on low-income consumers is especially troubling, since many don’t have access to or can’t afford organic produce.” she added.
The researchers fear this could hurt the health of low-income shoppers as they avoid key nutritional staples in their diet due to the false accusations.
source: augustafreepress.com
