Public health professionals are often surprised to find that the clear message they thought they presented to the public has resulted in hostility or apathy. The purpose of risk communication is to translate scientific information into messages that help the public put risk into perspective and make decisions about risks. Successful risk communication means that the message is understood by the target audience.

Scientists and regulators see food safety risks differently than the public does. The public believes food treated with chemicals causes cancer and thus perceives chemical additives as the most serious food safety concern. Scientists have ranked pathogens and naturally occurring toxins as the greatest food safety risks.

Perceptions become reality. When health officials communicate about risks in technical jargon without regard for the audience, the audience may not understand the message and may not react in the way the agency intended. Scientific knowledge is complex and the scientific community often disagrees about the validity of information and the risk involved. This can be even more confusing to the public.

The general public gives more weight to the impact of food safety risks on family and friends than to statistics. Scientists are taught to remain objective and unemotional, and to focus on facts and figures. The public makes decisions based on shared values, previous experiences, the opinions of family and friends, and what the effect will be on an individual member of the public. Their perception may be colored by how children and grandchildren are affected and how fairly the risk is distributed. People are more willing to adapt to risks that are familiar, under their personal control, chosen, fairly distributed, and with clear benefits that may justify the risk.

Communication for Food Safety Crisis Situations

Communication in crisis situations is different because these situations need immediate control. Prior planning is important. Worst-case scenarios and action plans must be identified in advance. To ensure effective communication during a food recall or food safety crisis, the following principles should be observed:

• Establish control over the situation by responding quickly and giving simple messages containing accurate information.
• Name the source(s) of the contaminated foods
• Explain how to identify the contaminated food
• Provide risk reduction information.
• Explain what to do with the contaminated food
• Describe safe handling practices to reduce risk
• Describe characteristics of illness caused by the food contamination
• Explain how to seek medical attention
• Update information regularly and frequently.
• Establish hotlines and points of contact
• Provide the latest information
• Control or refute rumors
• Include the medical community in your communication plan to keep them informed and able to respond if necessary
• Report when and how the situation is resolved.

Risk messages for crisis situations should include the following:

• Complex technical information translated into lay terms
• Information about the pros and cons of the risk
• Information about alternatives
• How the risk will be managed
• Risk estimates presented in percentages, proportions, and/or gains and losses
• Risk comparisons with a standard over time to illustrate progress.