Full Project – CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTION OF FOOD HYGIENE IN NIGERIA

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1        Background of the Study

Insights into customer perception and decision-making processes is critical to help the marketer better understand consumer behavior, write better positioning strategies, and build more successful advertising campaigns based on product qualities (Aaker and Gary,2008). It has long been acknowledged that successful communication is hampered by the perception process. Senders and recipients will either be able to decode marketing messages correctly at this point, or will be left in the lurch. The senses a creature employs to gather data about its surroundings are referred to as its perception (Alban and Wesley, 2009). While perception may relate to the biological usage of our sense organs, in the context of consumer behavior, it means much more.

Therefore, Brunwick (2009) describe consumer perception as the complete process by which a person becomes aware of the environment and interprets it so that it fits into his or her frame of reference for making a choice on a product or service. A consumer’s actions and reactions are driven by their own subjective views rather than objective facts. Therefore, according to Dickson and Alan (2009), it is critical that marketers comprehend the idea of perception and all of its associated notions in order to better understand how customers decide which products to purchase.

Despite being exposed to the same stimuli under identical conditions, two people’s perceptions of those stimuli can differ significantly, as explained by Aaker and Gary (2008). This variation is due to factors such as the subjects’ own needs or values, as well as their own preconceived notions about the study’s goals or outcomes. It’s tough to comprehend perception since it is mostly a study of what we unconsciously add or delete from raw sensory data to build a private image of the world.

In most parts of the world, eating habits have long been dependent on a mixture of local production and imported conserved foods. More recently, manufactured foods have become an important part of many people’s diet and many of the world staple foods are now traded internationally as commodities. Although goods, money, knowledge and influence flow along all chains, the number and complexity of transactions along an individual chain, and therefore, the capacity for any actor to exert a strong influence on others varies enormously with the type of chain or network involved. Basic experiences show that food supply is not necessarily congruent with consumption. Globally, nationally and locally, food may be available but not accessible or affordable. Studies of extreme dislocation such as famines and normal conditions both illustrate how social factors shape markets and how markets do not necessarily respond to need (Rich and Andy,2007).

Food hygiene is an integral part of food security and is defined as protecting the food from microbial, chemical and physical hazards that may occur during all stages of food production, including growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, retailing, distribution preparing, storing and consumption, in order to prevent food borne illness. Because of insufficient food to meet demand on the African continent, the majority of people are only concerned with satisfying hunger and do not give necessary attention to food hygiene. While many regulatory agencies such as National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) have recorded remarkable impact in this area, some scholars think much is still left undone (Ladele and Ayoola,1997). According to Pretty (2006), concerns have increased about the environmental impacts and food hygiene in the past several years. This public uneasiness had spurred multiple investigations of where and how food is produced and the corresponding impacts on our environment and climate.

According to NRI(2005), it is believed that the assembling of baseline data on the presence of micro organisms and toxin in food origin by improving the practice and reliability of on site rapid tests for microbial and toxicological hazards in food and animals is a sure way of improving the health standard of food. Another way is identification of baseline safe levels for chemicals and microorganisms in food reduction of toxin and pesticide residue and reliability of on site rapid test for microbial and toxicological hazards in food and animals. Others are the reduction of veterinary drug residue level in meat and meat products, diary products and poultry as well as adequate livestock and poultry waste management. It is further stated that unless there is a standard procedure for ensuring wholesome food, the next global problem will not only be the absence of food but will include the availability of unsafe consumable items. The increased damaging activity to which the environment continues to be exposed is a sure way of arriving at  this unpleasant destination for mankind. The time to look at the evolving trends in food hygiene and environmental hygiene and the public health challenges arising from them is now. Sound knowledge of the challenges will position us to make the best efforts to reduce the negative impact of infectious diseases related to environmental problems.

1.2        Statement of the Problem

Despite the efforts by governments and both multilateral and bilateral agencies, weaknesses remain in national food hygiene control systems. There seem to be the absence of enforceable policies, regulatory mechanisms, resources and coordination in addressing the challenge. The burden of food borne diseases in the African Region is difficult to summarize, but available data for diarrhea alone due to contaminated food and water could have estimated mortality rate around 700,000 persons per year across age groups (FAO, 2010).The organization state further that in 2010, an outbreak of acute aflatoxicosis from consumption of contaminated maize in Kenya resulted in 317 cases and 125 deaths. Leads and other chemical contaminants have been detected in some foods in several countries.

The case of the death of 10 out of 650 secondary school teachers who where reportedly killed by food poisoning and several others hospitalized after taking their lunch at a workshop organized by Katsina State ministry of education at Kofur Yan’daka, Katsina State is worrisome (Compass Newspaper, 2011). The incident of the death of 7 persons (grandmother, mother, and 5 children) at Odo Oba community close to Ogbomoso, who where suspected to have died of food poisoning after a meal of fish and amala as reported by Tribune Newspaper of 15^th December, 2011, is devastating. Equally worthy of note is the report of FAO (2010), in Bekwara Local Government Area of Cross River State, where 2 children died and 122 people hospitalized as a result of food poisoning due to indigestion of moi-moi and beans that were said to have contained a large dose of highly toxic pesticides. The recent case of food poisoning tragedy at Owerri, Imo State as reported by The Vanguard Newspaper of Monday 8^th July, 2013, where the joy of a family turned sour as no fewer than thirty (30) of their invited guests for child dedication ended up in hospitals after consuming a suspected poisoned Igbo delicacy ( Ugba), is another threatening story.

FAO (2008), puts it succinctly that “bacteria, para sites and virus are the major causative agents of food borne diseases in the African Region”. Outb reaks of cholera, which occurs due to contaminated water, are common in the region and available data show an upward trend.. There are multiple sources of contamination from the environment, and contaminants could enter the food during production, harvest, storage, retailing and preparation for consumption. It is imperative that food hygiene remains a concern in all situations in order to derive maximum benefits from even the little available food. Unsafe food not only results in ill-health but also has economic consequences in the area of hospital fees and international trade losses.

In Nigeria, NAFDAC has destroyed aflatoxin and many imported contaminated foods worth more than US200,000 or N30,200,000 (FAO,2010). Available data according to FAO, show, that a cholera outbreak in Tanzania in 1998, and a ban on Ugandan fish exports to EU markets resulted in a similar loss. Food hygiene is a shared responsibility that requires the common vision of all stakeholders. The problem is based on the perceived nature of unsafe food, with it’s attendant risks. Are consumers aware of these problems? Literature revealed that there was a limited understanding of food hygiene in Nigeria despite the fact that the issue of food hygiene was given due attention over the years. It was also revealed that there was a certain level of resistance to change of unhealthy pattern of consumption of food because of belief or tradition. The health implication of unsafe food also constitute a problem to the consumers.

1.3        Objectives of the Study

The broad objective of this study is to determine the perception of consumers on the food hygiene in Nigeria. Specific objectives for this research are to:

1. Ascertain the effect of educational background on consumers’ perceptions of food hygiene.
2. Ascertain the effect of gender on consumers’ perceptions of food hygiene.
3. Determine the effect of income on consumers’ preference for foreign food based on safety reasons.
4. Determine the level of consumers awareness of the environmental impact on food hygiene in  Nigeria.

1.4        Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide this research work.

1. Does educational background prevent consumers from determining the basic evaluative criteria for determining food hygiene?
2. Does gender differ in perception of the stages of food chain that are  most unsafe?
3. Does income have any effect on consumer perception of food hygiene?
4. What are the environmental impact on food hygiene in Nigeria?

1.5        Research Hypotheses

The following research hypotheses were formulated:

1. Educational background has no significant effect on the perception of consumers of the food hygiene in  Nigeria.
2. Gender has no effect on consumers’ perception of food hygiene in Nigeria’s
3. Income does not significantly affect the perception of consumers’ preference for foreign food based on safety reasons.
4. There is no significant difference on consumers’ perception of environmental impact onfood hygiene in  Nigeria.

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Full Project – CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTION OF FOOD HYGIENE IN NIGERIA