Food safety: consumer perception

إنجليزي. In the last years the media played an important role in risk communication and in the formation of public opinion on an issue. This is a style of communication which rarely comes close to true risk communication. Media tend to highlight existing concerns, uncertainties and conflicts and present all sources on a rather equal footing. It has been suggested that media coverage is driven by rarity, novelty, commercial viability and, unfortunately, very little by risk evaluation. Often these effects, which originate from routine media coverage, can lead to what is termed by some as a media event. That is what happened in Europe on episodes of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and dioxin-contaminated animal feedstuffs that magnified loss of trust in public institutions. Thereupon the public is becoming increasingly aware of food nutrition and is demanding more information. To move the process along, it is necessary to develop a communication strategy that helps the public to understand the real complexities of the phenomenon and to acquire an upright knowledge on food risks; this in view to modify behaviours that could affect public health. In order to do that, the ASL 8 has carried out an experimental research project to develop an evaluation model on perception of risks and participated analysis of safety food themes

إيطالي. Le problematiche legate all´alimentazione e alla sicurezza alimentare, data l´importanza che i cibi rivestono nel determinare aspettative di vita migliori e più lunghe, sono frequentemente trattate dai media. Negli ultimi anni sono infatti state diffuse notizie riguardanti le principali emergenze inerenti il settore alimentare, come l´encefalopatia spongiforme bovina, la presenza di diossina nelle carni, la diffusione di organismi geneticamente modificati. Per le istituzioni che hanno come compito la prevenzione e la tutela della salute dei cittadini, emerge quindi la necessità di una strategia di comunicazione volta a progettare campagne di informazione sui rischi e a modificare comportamenti che incidono sulla salute. In questo lavoro sono stati elaborati i dati ricavati da un questionario diffuso nel territorio dell´ ASL 8, volto a comprendere quale sia la percezione del rischio dei consumatori, allo scopo di identificare correttamente i problemi e creare una solida base per eventuali interventi di prevenzione