Sessions

Food safety behavior is shaped by the complex relationship between knowledge, individual perceptions, cultural values, and daily food handling practices. Nevertheless, consumer food safety orientations are often heterogeneous, and differences in how consumers understand and apply food safety information remain insufficiently studied. This study aims to identify different consumer profiles and characteristics of Hungarian consumers in terms of the structure and diversity of attitudes and behaviors related to food safety.

This study used a questionnaire survey of 1003 representative Hungarian consumers, stratified by gender, age, and NUTS-2 location. Exploratory factor analysis, cluster analysis, and socio-demographic profiling were used to investigate underlying dimensions of food safety behavior and consumer groups. Four dimensions emerged: health and dietary awareness; food-related national identity; habitual food safety practices; and trust in retailers and brands. The cluster analysis revealed three consumer profiles: Traditional Food Safety Practice Group (76.18%), Evidence-Based Food Safety Practice Group (20.02%), and Low Food Safety Practice Engagement Group (3.80%). The profiles differed significantly in food safety attitudes, behavioral practices, socio-demographic characteristics, and information sources. The Traditional Food Safety Practice Group reported regular practice of common food safety behaviors, although some practices, such as washing raw meat before processing, are not consistent with current food safety recommendations. The Evidence-Based Food Safety Practice Group showed higher adherence to recommended food safety practices. Low levels of food safety practices: The Group reported lower engagement in several food safety behaviors compared to the other groups. Sources of information analysis revealed differences between consumer groups. Traditional media channels such as television and radio remained important sources of information on food safety, while digital platforms saw varying degrees of use across profiles.

This research contributes to the literature on heterogeneity in consumer food safety behavior by showing that food safety practices are linked to several dimensions, such as knowledge, trust, cultural values, and information environments. The results provide recent evidence for designing risk communication, showing that food safety messages should account for variations in consumer profiles, practices, and preferred information channels, rather than using uniform communication approaches.