U.S. Consumers' Tree Nut Food Safety Knowledge, Perceptions, and Handling Practices across Demographic Groups

Area of Science:

• Food safety
• Consumer behavior
• Microbiology

Background:

• Tree nuts are often perceived as low-risk for foodborne illness, despite documented outbreaks.
• Consumer handling practices are influenced by knowledge, risk perception, and information sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess consumer knowledge, risk perception, and information preferences regarding tree nut safety.
• To identify how these factors influence consumer handling behaviors.
• To inform the development of targeted food safety education.

Main Methods:

• Online survey of 981 consumers who prepare tree nuts or nut-based dairy analogs (NBDAs).
• Assessed food safety knowledge, risk perception, benefit perception, information sources, and handling practices.
• Cluster analysis identified demographic groups with specific knowledge and behavior patterns.

Main Results:

• Consumers exhibit insufficient knowledge of tree nut contamination risks; only 25% knew of past outbreaks.
• Most consumers (70%) perceived low risk from tree nuts, prioritizing health benefits over microbial concerns.
• Demographics with lower food safety knowledge and risk perception (e.g., younger/older adults, lower education) engaged in riskier handling practices.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist in consumer understanding of tree nut food safety.
• Targeted, audience-specific educational materials are crucial for improving safe tree nut handling.
• Addressing knowledge deficits and risk perceptions is key to preventing foodborne illnesses linked to tree nuts.