Perceptions of food risk management among key stakeholders:

Results from a cross-European study

Ellen van Kleef, Lynn J. Frewer, George M. Chryssochoidis, Julie R. Houghton,
Sara Korzen-Bohr, Thanassis Krystallis, Jesper Lassen, Uwe Pfenning and
Gene Rowe.
Journal: Appetite, July 2006, 47(1), pp 46-63.

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Abstract
In designing and implementing appropriate food risk management strategies, it is
important to examine how key stakeholders perceive both the practice and effectiveness
of food risk management. The objective of this study is to identify similarities and
differences in perceptions of, and attitudes to, food risk management practices held by
consumers and experts with an interest in food safety. Focus groups were conducted in
five European countries chosen for their (hypothesised) cultural differences in attitudes
towards risk: Denmark, Germany, Greece, Slovenia and the UK. Content analysis was
carried out on the resulting texts and (sub) categories were identified within the
analysis framework to facilitate the capture of emerging themes.

Five key themes were identified as common to the perceptions of both consumers and
experts, although these are not represented in the same way by both groups. These key
themes are: (1) efforts made by the responsible authorities to manage food risks; (2)
responsibility for prevention and management of food risks; (3) how priorities are
established within regulatory systems; (4) scientific progress and its implications for
food risk management; and (5) media attention and food safety incidents.

Although some similarities emerged between the groups, differences were also
identified. For example, experts appeared to be highly negative about media influences,
whereas consumers appeared more indifferent about media influences and motives.
These different perspectives need to be addressed in order to reduce the perceptual
distance between key stakeholders, and in particular, to enhance consumer confidence
in the food risk management system. Based on the study findings, recommendations for
food risk management policies are outlined.

Keywords
Food safety; Consumer perceptions; Expert views; Lay-expert differences; Food risk
management; Risk analysis; Consumers; Trust; Denmark; Germany; Greece; Slovenia;
United Kingdom

Aims
To understand how food risk management practices are perceived among various relevant stakeholder groups
(i.e. consumers, food risk assessors, food risk managers and food safety scientists)
To identify key factors that influence how people think about food risk management
 To examine similarities and differences in perceptions about the practice and effectiveness of food risk
management across consumers and experts groups

Implications
Results from this study are used to develop a questionnaire (Study 2) to get better
insight into the factors that influence consumer evaluations of food risk management
practices.

Furthermore, understanding potential differences in perceptions of effective food risk

management between consumers and experts will be important for designing
appropriate food risk management strategies.

Methodology
How? Focus group + Personal followup interviews

Where? Greece

Denmark

Slovenia

UK

Germany

How many participants? 46 Consumers & 62 Experts

The researched countries have been selected based on Hofstede values.

Results
When discussing food safety management, experts tend to express the same view
independent of their cultural origins, whereas consumers tend to differ in opinion
across countries. In other words, experts are more homogeneous and consumers
more heterogeneous in their opinions about the quality of lfood risk management.
Furthermore, the three groups of experts (food risk managers, food risk assessors, food safety scientists) had
similar opinions regarding food risk management. This is why the three types of experts will be included in the
term expert from now on.

The results of the focus group research have also been collected in the presentation:
"Results of the study on social representations of food risk management"

In respect to consumers and experts perceptions of food risk management, five key
themes were commonly identified:
 1. Efforts: Perceived efforts made by the responsible authorities to manage food risks
2. Responsibility: Responsibility for prevention and management of food risks
3. Priorities: How priorities are set within regulatory systems
4. Science: Scientific progress and its implications for food risk management
5. Media: Media attention and food safety incidents
Additional information about these key themes can also be seen on the poster:
"Perceptions of Food Risk Management Practices among Key Stakeholders: Results
from a Cross-European Study"

Some other topics were found to influence consumers perception of trustworthiness

of food safety managers:

Value of similarity: consumers have more trust in food managers that have similar interest as themselves, e.g. if
they come from a similar background, or are perceived to have similar interests or values as consumers
Idealism & traditions: can play a role in trustworthiness, e.g. farmers are considered to be specialists in food in
Denmark or Slovenia
Knowledge and expertise of actors: the level of consumer is correlated with the perceived level of knowledge
and expertise of the food risk managers
Power and ability to act: because knowledge can only be displayed if there is ability to act!
In a ranking exercise carried out by consumers, involving eight types of food risk
managers, two groups can be discerned:

Relatively high trust scores were found for: Consumer Organisations, scientists working for universities, national
ministry responsible for safety of food, farmers
Considered less trustworthy by consumers: The European commission, food industry, food retailers
and scientists working for industry