Coping with new food-related risks / Autour de la grippe aviaire au Viet Nam

This study on the sociology of food and sociology of risk examines the impact of the recent Avian Influenza epizootic (H5N1 virus) on Vietnamese consumers in Hanoi. Precautions taken by consumers did not only include following official recommendations but also adopting their own avoidance tactics. Indeed “common” food practices and “magical thinking” regularly triumphed over recommendations when these were regarded as unacceptable. While food patterns in Hanoi originally appeared to represent one of the risk factors for the spread of the virus, we noticed that these patterns were updated by new food practices adopted in response to Avian Influenza. The question is to what extent have Hanoi consumers grown accustomed to this risk as a result of homespun prevention measures.