Beliefs, values, and sociocultural patterns related to food safety in low- and middle-income countries: A synthesis of the descriptive ethnographic literature

Abstract

Foodborne disease is intimately connected to nutrition and causes considerable harm to health and economic wellbeing. Consumers play a key role in food safety, making it essential to understand the motivations, beliefs, and practices that shape their decisions. Ethnographic research methods are well suited to understanding such topics but have rarely been applied to food safety. This paper presents an evidence synthesis of ethnographic studies, with an emphasis on food safety beliefs, values, and related socio-cultural information, and a focus on consumers' purchasing behaviors. Vendor perspectives are also briefly considered. Key findings include the importance of trust, strategies to reduce risk, the effects of economic status and gender, and broader cultural concepts about foods that influence food purchasing. The synthesis demonstrates that there are numerous social and cultural factors that influence decision making related to food safety, offering insights for the design of interventions to reduce exposure to foodborne disease and improve nutrition.

Keywords: Ethnographic research; Foodborne illness; Informal markets; Sociocultural beliefs and practices.