Principles and Practices of Effective Food Safety Risk Communication – Introducing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Food Safety Risk Communication Framework
Hong Jin *
Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Australia.
Lateef Adewoye
Health Canada, Canada.
Eleonora Dupouy
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Italy.
Jun Cheng Er
Singapore Food Agency, Singapore.
Frank Geraghty
Health Canada, Canada.
William K. Hallman
Rutgers University, United States.
Marion Healy
Marion Healy Pty Ltd, Australia.
YiFan Jiang
Food Industry Asia, Singapore.
Elizabeth de Leon-Lim
Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers Inc., Philippines.
Clare Narrod
University of Maryland, United States.
Amy Philpott
Philpott PR Solutions LLC, United States.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This paper describes the principles and practices of effective food safety risk communication developed under the “Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Food Safety Risk Communication Framework and Associated Guidelines”. The framework recommends that effective food safety risk communication needs to be centered on the clear goal of protecting consumer health by ensuring transparency and timeliness, and communication on food safety matters should be conducted in a two-way process. It emphasizes the need to provide the public with credible information based on science and evidence and highlights that food safety is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders, including industry, government agencies, media organizations and consumers. It further highlights that food safety risk communication needs to be conducted in a consistent, systematic, inclusive, consultative, and preventative manner. The framework also indicates that effective food safety risk communication needs to pay attention to the backgrounds, experiences, and needs of concerned audiences. It stresses the importance of continuous improvement of the communication system to ensure food safety risk communication to be effective. Focusing on effective communications in response to food safety incidents, emergency or crisis situations, as well as everyday food safety communications, these principles and practical guidelines will help food safety regulators, food industry, food safety educators and other stakeholders improve their communications with target audiences.
Keywords: Food safety, risk communication, crisis communication, everyday communication, social media, principles and guidelines