Economic and social factors as cost, availability and food habits usually influence the consumer's choice. Nowadays other factors like legislation, rising of meals eaten out-of-home and the application of new technologies have been affected the shopping decision. In this direction it's necessary to have more explanations about food irradiation as a method to conserve food. Its commercial use has been slow because most of the consumers misunderstands or has wrong belief about this technique. In such a manner, this work aimed at realizing a survey of knowledge and acceptance level of food irradiation in Belo Horizonte (MG), Brazil, and also to elucidate its real meaning to consumers. A total of 218 people were interviewed and the results showed that 59.6% of them haven't known that irradiation is a method to preserve food, thus they have no idea if they consume or not this kind of food. About 16% believe that irradiated food means the same of radioactive food. Besides that, 89% of people interviewed could become consumers of this product if they know that irradiation raises the food safety.
irradiated foods; consumer's attitude; food preservation
