Risk communication guidelines for Europe: a modest proposition

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to firstly develop a series of so‐called risk communication guidelines via the risk perception and communication literatures that in turn can be used by media, industry and regulators. In the second part of the paper, the draft guidelines are tested against a number of food scares ranging from aspartame to Sudan 1, and semicarbazides in baby food. In the final section of the paper, the usefulness of the guidelines is analysed and a number of key recommendations put forward.

Keywords:

• risk communication
• media guidelines
• food risks
• aspartame
• Sudan 1
• semicarbazide

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to the following people who have either provided me with information or commented on earlier versions of this paper: Asa Boholm, Frederic Bouder, Andrew Jack, Andrea Oates, Anne‐Katrin Schlag, Laura Smillie, Jamie Wardman, as well as officials at the EFSA, DG SANCO, and the UK FSA. The research on which this paper is based was funded by the European Food Information Council, the European Commission’s Aquamax Project (Framework Programme 6) and the Swedish Research Council, The Swedish Rescue Services Agency, the Swedish Emergency Management Agency, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, the Swedish Road Administration and the Swedish Maritime Administration.

Notes

1. The UK was not alone in this regard. A number of nations, most notably France, Germany and the Nordic countries, were implementing a similar top‐down form of risk communication (e.g. Lofstedt 2005).

2. For an in‐depth discussion on the aspartame case, please see Lofstedt (2008).