Social representations of safety in food services

• Customers at two restaurants were interviewed about their views on food safety.
• We analyzed the content to identify representations of food safety in restaurants.
• Customers infer safety mainly from sensory and aesthetic cues.
• Optimistic bias and illusion of control are ways to counteract anxiety over risks.
• Social vulnerability seems to minimize the perception of risk of food poisoning.

This research aimed to evoke and analyze the perceptions of safe food through the perspective of customers at two different food service settings in São Paulo, Brazil. In-depth interviews (N = 66) were conducted using a guide with open questions focused on the individual's perceptions of safety, knowledge of food-borne diseases and self-involvement in the food chain. The Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) technique, based on the Theory of Social Representations, was set as the framework for the content analysis of the individual speeches with the aim of writing a collective discourse representing the “voice of the customer”. Similarities and differences reflecting different socio-economic backgrounds came up: in general, the interviewees showed concerns about hygiene and good practices and recognized some food hazards, especially those of chemical and biological natures. In situation of social vulnerability, some customers showed greater concern with the guarantee of access to a substantial meal in face of economic constraint. Finally, most customers reported a passive role in the food chain and seemed to transfer to the restaurant staff the entire responsibility for the safety of the meals served therein.