. ▁Now ad ays ▁the ▁food ▁production ▁chain ▁is ▁long ▁and ▁complicated , ▁and ▁food s ▁and ▁food ▁techn ologies ▁are ▁diverse . ▁Con sequently ▁consum ers ▁are ▁uncertain ▁about ▁the ▁determin ants ▁of ▁food ▁quality ▁and ▁safety ▁and ▁find ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁understand ▁them . ▁ ▁Now , ▁accept ance ▁of ▁food ▁products ▁very ▁often ▁depends ▁on ▁perce ived ▁benefits ▁and ▁ris ks ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁food . ▁Popular ▁views ▁of ▁food ▁processing ▁techn ologies ▁matter . ▁ ▁Es pecially ▁innov ative ▁food ▁processing ▁techn ologies ▁often ▁are ▁perce ived ▁as ▁ris ky ▁by ▁consum ers ▁▁ ▁Accept ance ▁of ▁the ▁different ▁food ▁techn ologies ▁var ies . ▁While ▁paste ur ization ▁is ▁well ▁recognized ▁and ▁accepted , ▁high ▁pressure ▁treatment ▁and ▁even ▁mic row aves ▁often ▁are ▁perce ived ▁as ▁ris ky . ▁Studies ▁by ▁the ▁High tech ▁Europe ▁project ▁found ▁that ▁traditional ▁techn ologies ▁were ▁well ▁accepted ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁innov ative ▁techn ologies . ▁ ▁Cons um ers ▁form ▁their ▁attitude ▁towards ▁innov ative ▁food ▁techn ologies ▁through ▁three ▁main ▁mechan isms : ▁First , ▁through ▁knowledge ▁or ▁belief s ▁about ▁ris ks ▁and ▁benefits ▁correl ated ▁with ▁the ▁technology ; ▁second , ▁through ▁att itudes ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁experience ; ▁and ▁third , ▁through ▁application ▁of ▁higher ▁order ▁values ▁and ▁belief s . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁consider ▁the ▁risk - ben ef it ▁trade - off ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁determin ants ▁of ▁consumer ▁accept ance , ▁although ▁some ▁research ers ▁place ▁more