Strategy and tactics for building up efficient risk-communications in the sphere of food products safety

Abstract

The authors highlight that contemporary social and economic processes require development of a new paradigm for discussing human health risks caused by food products distribution (risk-communications). Today such a model is replaced with a "prototype" of risk-communication, or simple informing. And as there is no "feedback" from risk recipients, it is impossible to adequately adjust information flows or assess their efficiency. Consequently, risks tend to be underestimated or aggravated by consumers. Working our decisions on managing risks and plans how to implement them are to be solved jointly by experts, authorities, and population. It is shown that there are some basic ways to build up an efficient risk-communications system in the sphere of food products safety; to do that, we need to achieve greater information activity and interest of population in issues related to products quality and safety; to form a stable attitude towards self-preserving behavior among people; to improve a state system for interaction between all the concerned parties on issues related to population health and food products safety. It is extremely important to fully use channels for information dissemination that are in demand by a target audience (for example, active application of social media) and to created conditions for public discussions about risks. Tactical tasks are methodical guidance on forms and means of providing information about health risks as they are to be relevant for a target audience. Expert community involvement into a constructive risk dialogue is a significant tool for increasing riskcommunications efficiency. As population tends to trust scientists, experts, and doctors more than public persons, representatives from these expert groups are to play a significant social role in a system of efficient risk-communications.