One of the most important economic plants of the Amazon is the Brazil nut (Bertholletia
excelsa). Brazil nuts for international trade are mainly obtained from wild collection rather than
from plantations, often cited as one of the most important products of extractive reserves in
Amazonia. The European Commission (2003/493/EC) has imposed strict regulations on the
import from Brazil of Brazil nuts in their shells, as the shells have been found to contain high
levels of aflatoxins, which can lead to liver cancer. This may have a negative impact on the
Brazilian exports of shelled Brazil nuts, due to possible public awareness. The aim of the
present research is to assess public perceptions regarding Brazil nuts and to contrast these
with other nuts in general through the use of the Portuguese version of the Perceived Food
Risk Index (PFRI). A sample of 418 consumers was drawn through a door-to-door interview using a random route walk procedure and following a quota sampling controlled for sex, age and location. Consumers
were asked to choose the most relevant quality and preservation characteristics and to identify
their consumption patterns for Brazil nuts and for nuts in general. Risk perception was
evaluated over ten risk characteristics, for each of the following hazards: i) aflatoxins; ii)
biological contaminants; iii) organoleptic changes; iv) fragments and strange bodies and v)
microbial contamination. Additionally, subjects were asked to rate the probability of each hazard
occurring in Brazil nuts or in nuts in general. Results show high consumptions of nuts in general, and a reduced consumption of Brazil nuts, although with low differences on the dimensions of risk perception. Concluding, this work adds to knowledge about the perceptions of risk connected to Brazil nuts consumption, namely that consumers perceive Brazil nuts as safe as nuts in general
