Understanding food discourse

In recent years, consumers have been faced with an increasing number of food choices, and they must consider multiple factors such as health concerns, nutritional content, animal welfare, sustainability, and climate change. While the language of food has attracted scholarly attention in linguistics, there are few studies in cognitive pragmatics that explore how consumers process information to make informed decisions. Therefore, this presentation will discuss the potential of pragmatics research, using Sperber & Wilson's (1986/1995) relevance theory as a framework, to address the reception of food discourse as presented to consumers. By examining how consumers interpret and respond to food-related messages, we can gain a better understanding of how to communicate with them effectively and encourage healthier, more sustainable food choices.