Revealing Underreported Food Quality and Safety Malpractices among Black Pepper Farmers in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Food quality and safety malpractices pose significant risks to consumers. Spices are among the most susceptible food commodities to adulteration and fraud globally, with black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) being particularly vulnerable due to its high value.  It also faces a safety threat from contamination by mold, which can produce harmful mycotoxins, and practices of washing mold-contaminated pepper to enhance appearance can increase the food safety risks. Although advanced detection methods exist, they remain costly and inaccessible in many developing countries, leading to underreporting of such practices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and extent of underreporting of food quality and safety malpractices among black pepper farmers in the Matale District of Sri Lanka. Data were collected from 810 farmers using structured questionnaires administered in person during August–September 2024.The study employed a List Experiment that included both direct and indirect questioning to reduce response bias. Direct questioning revealed that 17.4% of farmers engaged in pinhead mixing and 10.5% washed mold-contaminated pepper. In contrast, indirect questioning estimated prevalence rates of 45.5% for pinhead mixing (28.1 percentage points higher, p < 0.01) and 34.9% for washing mold-contaminated pepper (24.4 percentage points higher, p < 0.05), indicating substantial underreporting of these malpractices. These findings underscore the value of indirect questioning methods in uncovering hidden food quality and safety malpractices within agricultural value chains, particularly in the black pepper sector, and provide critical evidence to support the development of effective food quality and safety policies.