Communication of food‐related health risks and benefits – a systematic review (2018‐2022)

In response to a request from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to summarise the body of evidence in relation to communication of food‐related health risks and benefits ICF identified and reviewed the relevant scientific literature in six areas: (i) Consumer expectations about food production, food products and ingredients; (ii) Consumers’ preferred sources of information about food and food products; (iii) Consumer responses to risk benefit information about foods; (iv) Trade‐offs consumers make based on food risk and benefit information; (v) Consumers’ trust in different actors involved in the risk benefit analysis; (vi) The impact of controversies on risk and benefit perceptions.

The review followed a structured process to identify the 48 studies included in this report. These are all articles from peer‐reviewed journals, published in the period from 2018 to 2022, mostly with a European Union context. The studies indicated that consumer knowledge of food safety can be improved. They illustrated that consumer perceptions of food safety do not always reflect reality. This could be explained by the fact that people's perceptions of food safety are shaped by a wide range of internal and external factors. New technologies, if presented as new and not well established, are perceived as carrying more risk than well‐known technologies. Consumers perceived chemical risks (such as pesticides) more negatively than naturally occurring risks. The literature also found that certified labelled food instilled a general feeling of trust among consumers.

Overall, the studies confirmed that European consumers actively seek food safety information, find it important to stay informed and place high value on food safety and food traceability. The literature strongly highlighted the importance of individual values and beliefs in purchasing food. For communication to build trust, it must show empathy and respond to needs and to individual as well as culturally specific values.