Public Worry Regarding Specific Food Safety Issues in Lebanon

Abstract

Introductions: Food safety in Lebanon is a major public health issue potentially associated with the country's unique public health infrastructure and political challenges regarding policy and strategy. Foodborne illness is reportedly widespread, but the absence of a proper disease reporting mechanism makes incidence difficult to quantify. Improvement of consumer food safety is critical to reducing health risks; however, little is known about consumer food safety concerns in Lebanon. Purpose: To determine and explore Lebanese consumers’ risk perceptions, concerns, and perceived adequacy of food safety information.

Methods: Qualitative face-to-face interviews (n=43) were conducted with consumers who approached a Lebanese University (Modern University for Business and Science) Health Day stand held in a shopping mall in Beirut, Lebanon. Interviews enabled exploration of food safety perceptions and concerns amongst consumers.

Results: The majority perceived overall personal risk of foodborne illness to be "very high" and "greater" when eating outside of the home. Some respondents reported avoiding consuming food prepared outside of the home due to perceived lack of food safety guidelines and audits: "restaurants…do not abide by the necessary guidelines of food safety." Consumers were concerned regarding accuracy of and adherence to expiry dates: "the expiry dates are changed on some products; they even change the food source on the label." Concerns unique to Lebanon included electricity interruptions, which were believed to be associated with unsafe food storage practices: "we do not have electricity 24/24 hours and this is a huge defect when storing food in fridges because the temperature of those fridges goes up." Other food safety concerns included water safety, food contamination, and crop irrigation. A lack of food safety information was reported, with a desire for more information.

Significance: The study highlights food safety concerns that are particularly unique to Lebanon and has identified the need for further research to determine Lebanese consumers' cognitive and behavioural influences related to food preparation and storage, as well as food-safety education.