Knowledge, attitude, and practice of the use of irradiated meat among respondents to the FoodNet Population Survey in Connecticut and New York.

Irradiation of fresh meat to control microbial pathogens received approval from the federal government in February 2000. Food irradiation is a useful, albeit underutilized, process that can help protect the public from foodborne illnesses. The objective of this study was to determine consumer knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward irradiated meat products. Data were obtained from a single-stage random-digit dialing telephone survey of residents of the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) sites conducted in 2002 to 2003, which included supplemental questions about food safety and irradiated meat for residents of the Connecticut and New York sites. Thirty-seven percent of 3,104 respondents knew that irradiated fresh meat was available for purchase; however, only 2% found the product where they shopped. Knowledge of product availability was significantly influenced by whether a respondent lived in a county with one or more grocery stores operated by chain A, which had actively promoted the sale of irradiated fresh ground beef during the survey period. In a logistic regression model, after adjusting for other factors, respondents living in a county with chain A were more likely to know that irradiated products could be purchased than respondents living in other counties (odds ratio 2.0; 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 2.5). This finding suggests that public education efforts by an individual grocery store chain can have an important effect on knowledge of irradiated food.