Trust and distrust in food among non-dependent elderly people in Spain. Study on socio-cultural representations through the analysis of cultural domains.

The social and cultural representations of food are essential when it comes to understanding the perception of risk and the trust/distrust that people place on it. In this paper, we analyse the attributes and categories that non-dependent older people aged 65 and over living in Spain use when talking about trust/distrust in relation to food. In order to explore how they manifest different social meanings, we have conducted a study based on an analysis of cultural domains. The results of examining free-listing and pile-sort techniques were triangulated with the narratives obtained from interviews, life histories, food diaries and participatory workshops. The ethnographic research was conducted between June 2021 and June 2022 in the autonomous communities of Andalusia and Catalonia as well as the Valencian Community. Understanding the criteria for trust and distrust through the analysis of cultural domains allows us to better comprehend what food risks are perceived by older people and what value they place on food safety in their food choices. This study aims to provide qualified input for the development of healthier eating habits with recommendations for making ageing an easier process.

La hegemonía del modelo biomédico desde las representaciones del personal de salud en el contexto de un modelo de atención en salud con enfoque intercultural en Chugchilán, Ecuador / The Hegemony of the Biomedical Model from the representations of health care worker in the context of a health care model with an intercultural approach in Chugchilán, Ecuador

Resumen Este artículo pretende conocer cómo se pone en práctica el enfoque intercultural en el contexto del Modelo de Atención Integral de Salud con enfoque Familiar, Comunitario e Intercultural en Chugchilán (Ecuador), mediante los conocimientos, percepciones y prácticas que aplica el equipo de salud en la atención materno-infantil. Estudio etnográfico, en que participaron 21 profesionales sanitarios entre profesionales indígenas -técnicos de atención primaria de salud- y no indígenas del Centro de Salud. Las técnicas llevadas a cabo fueron observación participante y entrevistas en profundidad. Los datos generados se analizaron mediante análisis del contenido temático. El análisis de los datos evidenció que la hegemonía del modelo biomédico operante podría constituir una limitación en el desarrollo del enfoque intercultural, sin embargo, el personal de salud indígena, desde su rol ambiguo y contrario al modelo biomédico, emerge como un elemento contrahegemónico y articulador real entre los saberes biomédicos e indígenas en contextos interculturales de atención-autoatención.

Abstract This article aims to discover the intercultural practical approach in the context of the Comprehensive Healthcare Model within family, community, and interculturality in Chugchilán, Ecuador, via the recognition of knowledge, perceptions, and practices applied by the health team in maternal and child care. In this ethnographic study 21 health professionals, both Indigenous and non-indigenous from Chugchilán Health Center have participated, among the Indigenous health care workers were the primary health care technicians. The techniques applied were participant observation and in-depth interviews. The observed scenarios were the Health Center and excursion with community to record their daily life experiences. The generated data were examined using thematic content analysis. It showed that the operating biomedical hegemonic model could constitute one of the main limitations in the development of the intercultural approach. Even though Indigenous healthcare team holds an ambiguous and sometimes contrary role to the biomedical model, it has emerged as a counter-hegemonic element and real conciliator between biomedical and indigenous knowledge in intercultural contexts of care-self-care.

Food Waste and Power Relations in the Agri-Food Chain. The Fruit Sector in Lleida (Catalonia, Spain).

Studies of food waste claim that its main causes are technological and logistical deficiencies in the first stages of the agri-food chain. The present article discusses this statement using a specific case as a starting point: the production of fruit in Lleida (Catalonia, Spain). Since the 1980s, fruit production in this region has undergone a process of innovation and development. However, the agents who participate in the sector claim that the wasted volume of edible foodstuffs is greater than in previous times. This article argues that studies of food waste do not consider the power relations existing within the agri-food chain. When these relations are asymmetrical, technological innovation and logistics optimisation do not improve the efficiency of the system; rather, they help the hegemonic players to monopolise the commercial margin and transfer some of their running costs to the weaker agents. The ethnographic data for the study were obtained between 2017 and 2019 using qualitative research techniques.

Categorizations of Trust and Distrust in the Classifications and Social Representations of Food among Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in Spain-Applying the Cultural Domains' Pile Sort Technique.

Food is fundamental in the decision making of pregnant and breastfeeding women to care for their own health and that of their child. In this paper, we explore some common food classification systems and certain attributes assigned to these categories, represented by values of trust and distrust. This study is based on an interdisciplinary research project in which we analysed discourses and practices regarding the dietary intake of pregnant and breastfeeding women in relation to the presence of chemical substances in foods. The results presented are part of the second phase of this research where we explored the results of our analysis of the pile sort technique based on an analysis of cultural domains in order to explore the categories and semantic relations among terms regarding trust and distrust in food. This technique was applied to the 62 pregnant and breastfeeding women of Catalonia and Andalusia. These women also participated in eight focus groups that provided information and narratives enabling us to analyse the meanings of the associative subdomains obtained in the pile sorts. They classified different foods and assigned certain attributes to them according to the level of trust and mistrust, providing a social representation of food risks. The mothers expressed great concern about the quality of the food they consume and about its possible effects on their own health and on that of their child. They perceive that an adequate diet is one based on the consumption of fruits and vegetables, preferably fresh. Fish and meat generate serious concern, as their properties are considered ambivalent depending on the food's origin and mode of production. These criteria are perceived by women as relevant to their food decisions and, therefore, emic knowledge should be taken into account when developing food safety programmes and planning actions aimed at pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Perceptions of Food among College Students in the Field of Food Science: A Food Sustainability Approach.

The complex concept of food sustainability has become crucial in all spheres of life. Dietitians, food scientists, and technologists are in a unique position to promote sustainability in food systems. However, the perceptions of food sustainability among food science professionals and college students are under-researched, particularly in Spain. The aim of this study was therefore to analyze perceptions related to food and to food sustainability in a sample of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (HND) and Food Science and Technology (FST) students in Barcelona (Spain). An exploratory and descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out using qualitative and quantitative methodology and convenience sampling. Two focus groups and an online questionnaire were conducted (300 participants completed the survey, 151 from HND and 149 from FST). Although the students expressed concern about food sustainability, their dietary choices were primarily associated with or influenced by taste/pleasure and health/nutrition. The issue of sustainability seemed more internalized by women than men, whereas the generalized conception of a sustainable diet was essentially based on environmental aspects, with socioeconomic dimensions largely overlooked. The concept of sustainability should be promoted among food science students in all its multidimensionality, and actions need to be implemented that bring sustainability closer to students' social practices, which should be incorporated into all university education and that is taught by professors duly trained in the subject.

Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors Associated to Fruits and Vegetables Consumption in Elderly Europeans: A Systematic Review.

Several epidemiological studies stress the association between a diet based on high fruits and vegetables intake and a better health condition. However, elderly Europeans cannot manage the recommended fruits and vegetables consumption. This systematic review aims to explore the main factors related to fruits and vegetables consumption in elderly Europeans. We conducted literature searches on Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to May 2022. Published articles including data related to certain fruits and vegetables consumption among elderly Europeans were selected. The New Castle-Ottawa Scale and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute tools were used for methodological quality assessment by two authors independently. A total of 60 articles were retrieved, and data from twenty-one high-quality cross-sectional studies and five moderate-to-high-quality cohort studies, including a total of 109,516 participants, were synthesized. Associated factors mostly analyzed were those relating to demographic and socioeconomic status, such as sex, age, marital status, educational level, and income. However, the findings show a high discrepancy. Some evidence suggests a possible positive association, while other evidence shows an inverse or no association at all. The relationship between demographic and socioeconomic factors with fruits and vegetables consumption is not at all clear. More epidemiological studies with an appropriate design and corresponding statistical methods are required.

Professional identity construction: becoming and being a dietician in Brazil, France and Spain / Construção da identidade profissional: tornar-se e ser nutricionista no Brasil, na França e na Espanha / La construcción de la identidad profesional: volverse y ser dietista en Brasil, Francia y España

Professional socialization is a complex process that leads to the professional identity. While several studies have focused on the professional identity of physicians and nurses, few studies analyzed this aspect among dieticians. Furthermore, those studies did not consider the influence of sociocultural norms. The aim of this study was to analyze the construction of the professional identity of Brazilian, French and Spanish dieticians. A qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews was set up. The construction of the professional identity of Brazilian, French and Spanish dieticians is characterized by the incorporation of skills, knowledge and roles. This process was marked by transformations, mainly related to food and body. Dieticians from the three nationalities shared similar professional values grounded in a medical-nutritional rationale. However, their professional identity also resulted from a continuous process of interaction with patients, peers and the socio-cultural environment. (AU)

A socialização profissional é um processo complexo que leva à identidade profissional. Embora vários estudos tenham enfocado a identidade profissional de médicos/as e enfermeiros/as, poucos estudos analisaram esse aspecto entre nutricionistas. Além disso, esses estudos não consideraram a influência das normas socioculturais. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a construção da identidade profissional de nutricionistas brasileiras, francesas e espanholas. Foi usada uma metodologia qualitativa baseada em entrevistas semiestruturadas. A construção da identidade profissional das nutricionistas brasileiras, francesas e espanholas foi caracterizada pela incorporação de competências, conhecimentos e papéis. Esse processo foi marcado por transformações, principalmente relacionado à alimentação e ao corpo. As nutricionistas das três nacionalidades compartilhavam valores profissionais semelhantes, baseados em uma lógica médico-nutricional. No entanto, sua identidade profissional também resultou de um processo contínuo de interação com pacientes, pares e o contexto sociocultural. (AU)

La socialización profesional es un proceso complejo que conduce a la identidad profesional. Aunque varios estudios se centraron en la identidad profesional de médicos/as y enfermeros/as, pocos analizaron este aspecto entre dietistas. Además, estos estudios no consideraron la influencia de las normas socioculturales. Nuestro objetivo fue analizar la construcción de la identidad profesional de dietistas brasileñas, francesas y españolas. Se aplicó una metodología cualitativa basada en entrevistas semi-estructuradas. La construcción de la identidad profesional de las dietistas brasileñas, francesas y españolas se caracterizó por la incorporación de habilidades, conocimientos y roles. Este proceso estuvo marcado por transformaciones relacionadas con la alimentación y el cuerpo. Las dietistas de las tres nacionalidades compartían valores profesionales similares basados en una lógica médico-nutricional. Sin embargo, su identidad profesional también resultó de un proceso continuo de interacción con los/as pacientes, pares y el entorno sociocultural. (AU)

Motivating Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in Spain to Avoid Persistent Toxic Substances in Their Diet.

The objective of this study was to explore what motivates pregnant and breastfeeding women to make changes in their diet, specifically to examine how their perceptions regarding diet facilitate or act as obstacles to introducing healthy eating habits. For the optimal development of the mother, the fetus, or breastfeeding baby, it is important to avoid foods containing substances, such as persistent toxic substances (PTSs), that are harmful to health during pregnancy and after the baby's birth. This study used a qualitative research methodology, based on semi-structured individual interviews, food diaries, free lists, and focus groups with 111 pregnant and breastfeeding women in Spain. This approach was followed by a systematic and exhaustive exploitation of the qualitative data obtained, following the methodological principles of grounded theory. From the study results, we conclude that the motivation for a change in diet to avoid PTSs is based on the desire to promote good health, beliefs about the importance of having a varied diet, and the avoidance of potential risks. The main obstacles to change can be attributed to inadequate information, contradictory discourses, and socioeconomic difficulties.

Body Representations of Internal Pollution: The Risk Perception of the Circulation of Environmental Contaminants in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in Spain.

In this article, we analyze how pregnant and breastfeeding women perceive the inside of their bodies as well as their thoughts regarding the accumulation and elimination of chemical compounds present in food, and how these are then transmitted to the fetus. We explore different social perceptions of risk regarding the circulation of chemical compounds inside the body using qualitative research based on the technique of body mapping, comprised of women's drawings of their bodies in combination with comments on the drawings, food diaries and narratives from in-depth interviews. We examine how these 41 women (21 pregnant and 20 breastfeeding) perceive the body's internal mechanisms during the stages of pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as the circulation of chemical contaminants within it. The body mapping technique allowed us to analyze participants' knowledge of internal pollution, a little-understood process in society. Thanks to these pregnant and breastfeeding women, who made an effort to represent and reflect on these new risks, this study shows that scientists and obstetricians need to collaborate with women in order to better understand and publicize the risks of internal pollution.

Perceptions and Attitudes of Gynecologic and Pediatric Professionals Regarding Dietary Exposure to Chemical Pollutants.

There is increasing concern regarding the potential implications of continuous dietary exposure to low doses of artificial chemical pollutants, particularly in critical life stages such as pregnancy and lactation. Within a wider social research, we analyzed the risk perception, discourses, and attitudes of health professionals regarding dietary exposure to artificial chemical contaminants. Data was collected by personal interviews on 35 health professionals from two Spanish regions. Although the participants' discourses were strongly dominated by the nutritional composition and microbiological contamination, 34 expressed some concern regarding metals, and 23 regarding pesticides. Although only one participant mentioned a plasticizer (i.e., bisphenol A), we noted an underlying concern, since six professionals admitted to recommending pregnant women to somewhat avoid plastic food containers, and were aware of mother-to-child transmission and accumulation of artificial chemicals. The ubiquity of the exposure, the inability to locate the threat, and contradictory messages can all create a sense of helplessness and subsequent cognitive adjustments. Our participants also reported a lack of information, particularly on emerging pollutants. In conclusion, we found a range of valuable discourses that can aid in orienting public health strategies aimed at health professionals who have a substantial influence on their patients.

How would you define healthy food? Social representations of Brazilian, French and Spanish dietitians and young laywomen.

The perception that food affects our health has increased over the past fifty years in industrialised Western countries. The notion of "healthy food" has become ubiquitous in medical, political, and media discourse as well as in the discourses of the lay population. This study seeks to understand the social representations of "healthy food" of Brazilian, Spanish and French dietitians and young laywomen. A qualitative and comparative methodology based on 131 individual semi-structured interviews was set up. According to the analysis of the discourses, the notion of "healthy food" is ambivalent and polysemic. Scientific-nutritional rationality is not the only way to think about "healthy food". Two main ways of categorising "healthy foods" are observed in the three countries. They are based on eating analysis criteria that referred to diverse value systems and different scientific, symbolic and moral rationalities: on the one hand, a physiological, nutritional and functional conception, and on the other, an "eco-ideological" conception that took into account production, culture and distribution methods. Though dietitians have a greater technical knowledge of nutrients and metabolic processes than laywomen, professionals and young laywomen, mainly within the same nationality, shared similar discourses concerning the notion of "healthy food", revealing patterns that differentiate each nationality. Taking together, the results reveal that although medical-nutritional discourses are disseminated internationally, discourses on "healthy food" are constructed taking into account social, cultural, symbolic and moral dimensions. These discourses are linked to a historical and sociocultural context.

Implementing a national non-communicable disease policy in sub-Saharan Africa: Experiences of key stakeholders in Ghana.

Introduction: Comprehensive national non-communicable disease (NCD) policy development and implementation are crucial for preventing and controlling the increasing NCD burden, particularly in the Africa region where the largest increase in NCD related mortality is expected by 2030. Yet, even where national NCD policies exist, effective implementation remains hindered for reasons not clearly elucidated. This study explored the experiences of key health stakeholders at national and sub-national levels with implementing a national NCD policy in Ghana. Methods: This was an explanatory, cross-sectional and grounded theory study using in-depth interview guides to collect primary data from 39 purposively sampled health policymakers and implementing officials at the national and sub-national levels in Ghana. A thematic approach was used in data analysis. Results: Several interwoven factors including poor policy awareness, poor coordination and intersectoral engagements and inadequate funding for NCD programs and activities are key challenges thwarting the effective implementation of the national NCD policy in Ghana. At the sub-national levels, inadequate clarity and structure for translating policy into action and inadequate integration further affect operationalizing of the national NCD policy. Conclusion: The findings call for policymakers to adopt a series of adaptive measures including sustainable NCD financing mechanisms, effective intersectoral coordination, policy sensitisation and capacity building for implementing health professionals, which should be coupled with governmental and global resource investment in effective implementation of national NCD policies to make sustained population level gains in NCD control in Ghana and in other resource constrained settings.

Trust and distrust in relation to food risks in Spain: An approach to the socio-cultural representations of pregnant and breastfeeding women through the technique of free listing.

In this paper, we explore the socio-cultural representations of trust and distrust in relation to food risks among pregnant and breastfeeding women. We have conducted a study based on an analysis of cultural domains in order to understand how mothers incorporate different social meanings and explore the most important categories they use when talking about trust/distrust in relation to food. We use the technique of free listings to analyse the main shared items or elements regarding trust and distrust in food among these mothers. Through an analysis of cultural domains that refers to concepts and themes related to trust and distrust of foods that are important to these women, and through the study of shared knowledge about these domains, we examine their socio-cultural representations related to health and diet of the 65 free listings on trust and the 64 on distrust collected from mothers. The pregnant and breastfeeding women who participated in the free listings cite foods they trust or distrust based on the specific properties they perceive them to have or other characteristics related to their origin, their handling, processing and distribution. Additionally, trust/distrust often depends on the qualities they attribute to the product. This paper shows aspects of the socio-cultural representations of food risks in periods in the life cycle of women -pregnancy and breastfeeding-characterized by a risk discourse where the precautionary principle is frequently used to manage uncertainty. These results might help the development of public health campaigns as well as adapting the messages of the health authorities to the general population.

Illness representations and coping practices for self-managing hypertension among sub-Saharan Africans: A comparative study among Ghanaian migrants and non-migrant Ghanaians.

OBJECTIVE: Hypertension (HTN) control is a major obstacle among sub-Saharan African populations partly due to poor self-management. We explored and compared how persons' social and physical context shapes their illness representations regarding HTN and the coping strategies they develop and adapt to mitigate challenges in self-managing HTN. METHODS: A cross sectional multisite qualitative study using semi-structured interviews among 55 Ghanaians with HTN living in The Netherlands and urban and rural Ghana. A thematic approach was used in data analysis. RESULTS: Family HTN history, personal experiences with HTN and outcomes of using biomedical and traditional treatments shaped participants' illness representations and coping strategies. Migrants and urban non-migrants modified medication schedules and integrated taking medication into daily routine activities to cope with experienced side effects of taking antihypertensive medication while rural non-migrants used traditional remedies and medicines to mitigate experienced medication side effects and/or in search for a cure for HTN. CONCLUSION: Contextual factors within participants' social and physical environments shape their illness representations and coping strategies for HTN though interactive phrases. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Health professionals should harness the relationships within peoples' social and physical environments, encourage implementation of family-wide behavioural changes and involve family and communities in HTN treatment to enhance patients' self-management of HTN.

Fuentes de información alimentaria que utilizan las mujeres embarazadas y lactantes / Which are the sources of food information for pregnant and lactating women?

Objetivo: Conocer las fuentes de información dietética que utilizan las mujeres embarazadas y lactantes. Metodología: Investigación etnográfica cualitativa. Realización de 21 entrevistas semiestructuradas a embarazadas y lactantes asistentes a 14 sesiones de preparación del parto y 14 sesiones de posparto, 15 diarios de alimentación cumplimentados la semana siguiente a la entrevista y 3 etnografías realizadas en las provincias de Barcelona y Tarragona. Resultados: Las fuentes de información son: 1) Medios de comunicación: televisión, internet, libros y revistas (los dos últimos son los más empleados); el principal inconveniente es que las mujeres creen que hay demasiada información y no se entiende, por lo que consideran esta fuente la menos fiable. 2) Amistades y conocidos, que aconsejan según la experiencia propia; destaca el rol del «amigo-experto» en una cuarta parte de las mujeres entrevistadas. 3) Familiares, entre los que también se puede observar el doble rol de «familiar-experto»; las madres de las informantes desempeñan un papel importante a la hora de informar sobre la alimentación, aunque sus consejos son puestos en duda. 4) Expertos: la información que dan los profesionales es la más valorada por las gestantes y lactantes. Conclusiones: Las fuentes de información son diversas: medios de comunicación, amistades, familia y profesionales de la salud. La más respetada por las mujeres embarazadas y mujeres lactantes, es la ofrecida por profesionales de la salud

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the sources of dietary information and advice used by pregnant and lactating women and their adherence to this information. Methods: Qualitative etnographic research. 21 semi structured interviews were carried out with pregnant and breastfeeding women. They attended 14 sessions of childbirth preparation and 14 postpartum sessions, 15 feeding diaries completed the week after the interview and 3 ethnographies performed in the provinces of Barcelona and Tarragona. Results: Sources of information. 1) Media: television, internet, books, magazines were the most used. The most common complaint by the participants was the quantity of information and that they did not understand it. 2) Friends and acquaintances: advice was given according to own experience, 'the expert-friend' was significant in a quarter of the women interviewed. 3) Family: The double role of family/expert. Mothers of the participants played an important role. 4) Experts: mid-wives, gynecologists, pediatricians. Conclusions: The sources of information are diverse: media, friends, family and health professionals. The one most respected by pregnant women and lactating women, is that offered by health professionals

[Toxic bodies: perceived risk of internal contamination by chemical compounds in Spain]. / Cuerpos tóxicos: la percepción del riesgo de la contaminación interna por compuestos químicos en España.

This article analyses the social perception of human exposure to chemical compounds and discourses and practices regarding bodily boundaries when faced with internal contamination. Based on qualitative and interdisciplinary research carried out in Catalonia, the social meanings attributed to the environmental and food dangers and risks related to chemical compounds that affect human health, and the place that the body takes in the production of these discourses, were explored. In order to do so, between June and November 2011, 43 semi-structured interviews with workers with some awareness of chemical contaminants were carried out, emphasizing how these people (re)interpret the different existing discourses about internal contamination as well as their perceptions regarding the introduction of chemical compounds into the body and the dangers that these substances pose to health.

Cuerpos tóxicos: la percepción del riesgo de la contaminación interna por compuestos químicos en España / Toxic bodies: perceived risk of internal contamination by chemical compounds in Spain

RESUMEN Este artículo analiza la percepción social de la exposición humana a los compuestos químicos, y los discursos y las prácticas sobre las fronteras corporales ante la contaminación interna. A partir de una investigación cualitativa e interdisciplinar en Cataluña, se exploran los significados sociales que se atribuyen a los peligros y riesgos ambientales y alimentarios de los compuestos químicos que afectan a la salud humana y el lugar que el cuerpo ocupa en la producción de estos discursos. Entre junio y noviembre de 2011 se realizaron 43 entrevistas semiestructuradas a trabajadores con alguna conciencia sobre contaminantes químicos, en las que se profundizó cómo estas personas (re)interpretan los diferentes discursos existentes sobre la contaminación interna, sus percepciones sobre la introducción de compuestos químicos en el cuerpo y los peligros que estas sustancias representan para la salud.

ABSTRACT This article analyses the social perception of human exposure to chemical compounds and discourses and practices regarding bodily boundaries when faced with internal contamination. Based on qualitative and interdisciplinary research carried out in Catalonia, the social meanings attributed to the environmental and food dangers and risks related to chemical compounds that affect human health, and the place that the body takes in the production of these discourses, were explored. In order to do so, between June and November 2011, 43 semi-structured interviews with workers with some awareness of chemical contaminants were carried out, emphasizing how these people (re)interpret the different existing discourses about internal contamination as well as their perceptions regarding the introduction of chemical compounds into the body and the dangers that these substances pose to health.

Discourses on the Toxic Effects of Internal Chemical Contamination in Catalonia, Spain.

Human exposure to and contamination by environmental toxic compounds generates discourses and practices that merit greater attention. In this article, we assess internal chemical contamination and the risk of toxic effects as an experience related to the production of meaning in everyday life. Drawing on the analysis of semantic networks of narratives from semi-structured interviews conducted with 43 informants in Catalonia, Spain, we consider participants' perceptions of the health risks of toxic compounds, including social discourses on exposure, toxicity, and internal chemical contamination, and on responsibilities, consequences, and proposed strategies for controlling toxic compounds. Informants' narratives on the relationships between nature and nurture suggest that they no longer perceive rigid boundaries separating the human body from the external environment and its chemical pollutants.

¿Sabemos lo que comemos?: Percepciones sobre el riesgo alimentario en Cataluña, España / Do we know what we eat?: Perceptions regarding food risks in Catalonia, Spain

RESUMEN En este artículo se describen y analizan las percepciones sociales sobre el riesgo alimentario en Cataluña (España), que inciden en qué alimentos son percibidos como peligrosos, pero también en cómo, cuándo, dónde, por qué y de qué manera se concibe este riesgo a partir de las narrativas de los informantes. A través de un estudio cualitativo, se ha explorado cómo se construyen y gestionan los discursos legos, que conforman imaginarios diversos sobre el riesgo alimentario que no siempre coinciden con la mirada biomédica. Se señala que el riesgo sobre los alimentos no siempre se asocia a los peligros del progreso o la industrialización, ni se centra necesariamente en el debate dicotómico “alimento industrializado” versus “alimento natural”, sino en un conjunto de posibilidades que tienen que ver también con el contexto de su producción, distribución, preparación y/o consumo.

ABSTRACT This article describes and analyzes social perceptions regarding food risks in Catalonia (Spain). In particular it uses the narratives of informants to determine which foods are perceived as dangerous and how, when, where and why this perception of risk develops. Through a qualitative research study, we explored how lay discourses are constructed and managed, creating diverse imaginaries regarding food risk that do not always coincide with the biomedical view. It is highlighted that food risk is not always associated with the dangers of progress or industrialization, nor is it necessarily focused on the dichotomous debate of “industrially produced food” versus “natural food”; rather food risk perceptions revolve around a series of possibilities that are also related to the production, distribution, preparation and/or consumption of food.

[Do we know what we eat?: Perceptions regarding food risks in Catalonia, Spain]. / ¿Sabemos lo que comemos?: Percepciones sobre el riesgo alimentario en Cataluña, España.

This article describes and analyzes social perceptions regarding food risks in Catalonia (Spain). In particular it uses the narratives of informants to determine which foods are perceived as dangerous and how, when, where and why this perception of risk develops. Through a qualitative research study, we explored how lay discourses are constructed and managed, creating diverse imaginaries regarding food risk that do not always coincide with the biomedical view. It is highlighted that food risk is not always associated with the dangers of progress or industrialization, nor is it necessarily focused on the dichotomous debate of "industrially produced food" versus "natural food"; rather food risk perceptions revolve around a series of possibilities that are also related to the production, distribution, preparation and/or consumption of food.