Misinformation about food safety

Abstract

False beliefs, the widespread prevalence and persistence of misinformation, are likely to influence people’s health negatively. If a majority believe in something that is factually incorrect and base their decisions on this, the consequences may not be in the best interest for them, their families, or the society as a whole. To be able to correct misinformation, we need to understand how consumers assess the truth of statements and what makes them believe in certain things but not others. We need to know that consumers form they beliefs first by trying to make sense of all the stimuli they are exposed to and then, afterward, look for evidence in support of those beliefs; they are rarely fully informed rational decision makers. Instead, decisions are made on limited information, gut feelings, or misinformation. We are all prone to a biased interpretation of reality. To correct for misinformation, we need to pay attention to the backfire effects. If we are not careful, a retraction may fail or even worse, backfire, since repeating misinformation increases familiarity and thereby strengthen the false belief.