Consumers’ knowledge and utilisation practices regarding plastic food and beverage packaging and containers

Abstract

Plastic packaging and containers play an important role in the food industry. They provide product information, aid in preventing food spoilage, and offer protection during transport and storage. However, these packaging materials or containers may leach harmful chemical substances and compounds into food and beverages. The leaching process may be accelerated during the misuse and reuse of these plastic products. Consumers are mostly familiar with the chemical substance Bisphenol A (BPA), "an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC)", which has attracted attention worldwide. BPA and EDCs are associated with different diseases and health problems, since they alter and interfere with natural hormones. Research has indicated that the accumulation of BPA and other EDCs from a variety of sources pose threats to human development and health. In addition, substitute chemicals performing similar functions to that of BPA in plastics occur in "BPA-free" plastic products. Research was therefore done to determine consumers' knowledge and utilisation practices regarding plastic as food and beverage packaging and containers. The aim of this study was to investigate and describe consumers' subjective and objective knowledge and their utilisation practices regarding plastic food and beverage packaging and containers in order to assess if consumers utilise these plastics safely. The information sources that consumers consult regarding the correct use of plastic packaging and containers as well as BPA and other harmful chemicals were also determined. The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) was used as theoretical perspective in order to frame the objectives of this study, and aided in the understanding of consumer knowledge, their learning processes, and their behaviour and how to alter it. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive survey was used for this study. Information was obtained from consumers between the ages of 18 to 35 years, from different backgrounds. Non-probability, purposive sampling was used and 293 respondents completed the online questionnaire. The results indicated that although most respondents had a fair subjective knowledge, they lacked objective knowledge regarding plastic food and beverage packaging and containers. Moreover, while some respondents had adequate to good knowledge of some of the identified factors, their utilisation practices did not reflect this knowledge since most types of packaging and containers were used incorrectly. A total lack of knowledge regarding plastic identification codes was identified. Respondents indicated that they obtained product-related information from formal and informal information sources, but trusted formal sources more. In a developing country such as South Africa, informal sources are more easily accessible, and respondents may therefore use them more. In contrast to previous research conducted in South Africa regarding consumer knowledge in other food contexts, no practically significant associations were indicated between subjective and objective knowledge. Additionally, only slight differences/tendencies were observed between respondents of different ages, genders and ethnicities. In conclusion, results confirmed that consumers are ill-informed regarding the correct utilisation practices of plastic products in a food context, and that they are unaware of the harmful chemicals in plastics and their associated health effects. These findings highlight the need for consumer education regarding the correct utilisation practices of plastic food and beverage packaging and containers and education regarding plastic identification codes, paving the way for follow-up intervention research. Legislation and policy makers are also recommended to take action regarding harmful chemicals found in food packaging and containers, since doing so may lead to an overall improvement of consumer health.