Understanding consumer perceptions of food adulteration in Jimma town, Ethiopia

Abstract Food adulteration, an intentional and criminal act of altering food products for economic gain, is becoming one of the prevalent issues affecting consumers in Jimma town. As spotlighted by media reports and subjective evidence. However, very little is known about the extent of the malpractice and consumers’ knowledge regarding food adulteration. This study aims to investigate consumer knowledge, attitudes, and practices on food adulteration in Jimma town. Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected from 384 active food purchasers in the marketplaces of “Mercato” and “Bishishe” through a convenience sampling technique. The convenience sampling was used to collect low-cost data from respondents who are active buyers of food products in the market. Before the actual study, the data collection schedule was pretested on a small market area of “Kochi” in Jimma town. The data were analyzed using SPSS V.20, employing statistical methods such as percentages, frequencies, means, standard deviations, and chi-square tests (to see a nominal variable or counts relationships). The findings reveal that most respondents encountered adulterated food items, with butter, honey, and red pepper powder being the most commonly adulterated items. A significant proportion of respondents (83.0%) are aware of the negative health effects of consuming adulterated food items, but many still rely on the smell and texture of the food to identify adulteration. The study highlights the widespread food adulteration in Jimma town, underscoring the need for strict enforcement of regulations. To address this issue, it underlines responsible and proper efforts expected among residents of the town, regulatory bodies, Jimma town health office, the Jimma University specialized hospital, the Trade bureau, and the Ethiopian Food and Drug Administration. Moreover, it outlines future lines of work to develop an advanced visual recognition method for identification as a possible solution to detect adulteration in food items.