Single-use plastic packaging in the Canadian food industry: consumer behavior and perceptions

Walker, Tony R.; McGuinty, Eamonn; Charlebois, Sylvain; Music, Janet

doi:10.1057/s41599-021-00747-4

Cited by 93 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Prior to the current situation, a large-scale outbreak of Ebola in several African nations and further abroad in 2014 was met with a rapid response from international public health organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO, 2015;Walker et al, 2021). Here we can see a response from the sort of public health apparatus which arose in the wake of the Spanish flu epidemic, specifically in food safety during an epidemic.…”

Section: Historical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Safety Economics in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Charlebois¹,

Vandertuin²

2021

JFR

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The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis for both food safety and especially the economic sustainability of food production in Canada and around the globe are explored. A full analysis is made of the nature of the virus, and it is spread as they relate to the forces of globalization which have created a global food supply chain, with a focus on the weaknesses of a global supply chain that fell prey to the COVID-19 virus and its associated economic effects. Comparison was made to past outbreaks of Spanish flu and Ebola, both of which challenged public health, food safety, and food supply systems. A more focused analysis examines how public and private responses to the pandemic create opportunities and challenges for several linkages in the supply chain, including farms, food processing facilities, grocery stores and restaurants. The quarantine procedures put in place around the world to manage the COVID-19 necessitated radical shifts in food production and. Ultimately the response from any individual government is insufficient to weather these events, as the fundamentally international and cross-industry factors involved require a holistic, globally coordinated approach which was not possible with the tools available before these events began.

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Section: Historical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Safety Economics in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Charlebois¹,

Vandertuin²

2021

JFR

Self Cite

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“…The CDC in the United States and the scientific community abroad have continuously sought to reassure the public that consuming food carries no risk of transmission of COVID-19, and that the virus itself would not survive on food packaging for an extended time. Canadian consumers were significantly concerned about contracting the virus directly from foods and food packaging [63]. Consumers have stigmatized portions of the food system because of not having sufficient or reliable epidemiological knowledge of the virus [64].…”

Section: Virus Epidemiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Food Safety Oversight: Implications in Canada and Coping Strategies

Charlebois

Music

2021

Foods

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The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created enormous societal disruptions in the Western world, including Canada, with serious implications for food safety. Since the start of the pandemic, many scholars have investigated the issue of food safety through different lenses. In this review, two research thrusts were identified, the epidemiology of the virus and food safety oversight. Both were challenged by the pandemic in Canada and elsewhere. In this paper, we first present how Canada experienced the pandemic. We then present how epidemiology and food safety oversight were affected by the virus and how the spread exposed gaps in Canada’s food safety system. We explain how Canada was not adequately prepared to face the food safety challenges posed by SARS-CoV-2. The review ends with an explanation on how risk perceptions will be altered by the pandemic in Canada and how food safety systems will adjust to better anticipate systemic risks in the future.

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“…Nevertheless, there was a third group that, although also conscientious about the implications of single-use plastics, still sometimes use them. A study conducted with Canadian consumers [26] revealed that practically all of the participants (around 94%) felt motivated to reduce the consumption of foods packed using single-use plastic. In this study, the authors also said that environmental concerns were more critical than food safety from the point of view of consumers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic Food Packaging: Perceptions and Attitudes of Portuguese Consumers about Environmental Impact and Recycling

et al. 2021

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The use of plastics for packaging has some advantages, since they are flexible and inexpensive. However, most plastics are of single use, which, combined with low recycling or reuse ratios, contributes substantially to environmental pollution. This work is part of a project studying the habits of Portuguese citizens concerning plastic food packaging and focuses on aspects related to sustainability. The survey was carried out via an online questionnaire about sustainability, recycling, and knowledge of the effects of plastic materials or their residues on the environment. The results were obtained based on a statistical analysis of the data. The participants tend to think about the negative impact of plastic packages on the environment; 39% sometimes do not buy plastic; and 30% try to look for alternatives. A substantial fraction, 81%, support the avoidance of plastic utensils and reduction in the use of plastic bags. Most participants have a good knowledge of recycling and strongly agree with the use of recycled materials, and 87% of respondents practice separation of different types of waste for recycling. Changing plastic consumption habits has not been an easy task. Nevertheless, it is expected that society will increasingly move toward sustainable habits, questioning its actions and considering their impact on the environment.

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Single-use plastic packaging in the Canadian food industry: consumer behavior and perceptions

Cited by 93 publications

References 50 publications

Food Safety Economics in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Food Safety Economics in the COVID-19 Pandemic

SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Food Safety Oversight: Implications in Canada and Coping Strategies

Plastic Food Packaging: Perceptions and Attitudes of Portuguese Consumers about Environmental Impact and Recycling

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