Purpose: The goal of this presentation is to share information from an assessment of education and risk communication strategies currently utilized (and under-utilized) with respect to their ability to influence consumer behavior.
Methods: Published literature related to consumer food safety, education, and risk communication was systematically reviewed. In-depth interviews with food safety educators and key stakeholders were conducted to gain insight about the background and goals of ongoing programs. A set of recommendations based on all findings was created to enhance future efforts to improve consumer food safety.
Results: Consumers lack adequate knowledge of several food safety topics, such as recommended cooking temperatures and how to use a meat thermometer. Much more often, however, consumers fail to handle food safely at home for other reasons, including lack of convenience, lack of obvious cues or reminders, competing cultural and social norms, or low perceived risk. Currently there are few initiatives that address these other issues – most focus entirely on improving consumer food safety knowledge.
Significance: Although knowledge is critically necessary, it is not sufficient to guarantee consumers will handle food safely at home. Campaigns to improve consumer knowledge should focus specifically on the few topics where knowledge is inadequate. Furthermore, additional efforts are necessary to address the many other internal and external factors that influence behavior, in order to motivate individuals who already possess adequate food safety knowledge. This tailored approach may not only improve behavioral outcomes, but also help program managers allocate valuable resources and funding more strategically.