Risk Analysis
(Communication and Management)
Main contacts: Julie Houghton and Gene Rowe
The process of decision-making on risk is termed risk analysis. The risk analysis process essentially involves three main components: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. Activities within risk assessment focus on estimating the risk that, for example, a food item or process will negatively affect a population or sub-population. Risk management involves the weighing of policy alternatives that arise as a consequence of the results of risk assessment, as well as the selection and implementation of appropriate control options. Risk communication is the interactive exchange of information and opinions concerning risk among risk assessors, risk managers, consumers and other interested parties.
Developing effective risk management in the area of food and agricultural production is important, as many European countries have experienced increased public concern regarding the safety of food over recent decades, together with a questioning of the motives of regulatory institutions charged with consumer protection.
The EU SAFE
FOODS project aims to restore consumer confidence in the food chain
through the development of a new integrated risk analysis approach
for foods. Empirical work for this project includes an investigation
of the factors influencing public perceptions of food risk management
practice, as well as differences in the perspectives of consumers
and food risk professionals.
There is considerable empirical support for expert-lay differences in hazard perception, but it is also possible that there are expert-lay differences in perceptions of what constitutes acceptable food risk management. Such differences obviously have important implications for the practice of risk management and risk communication. SAFE FOODS is also examining cross-cultural variation in the factors influencing perceptions of food risk management. Such insights will help determine the need to employ pan-European strategies or initiatives more customised to the local cultural environment.
For more details, see the SAFE FOODS website.
Selected Publications:
Marvin, H.J.P., Kleter, G.A., Frewer, L., Cope, S., Wentholt, M. and Rowe, G. (2009) A working procedure for identifying emerging food safety issues at an early stage: Implications for European and international risk management practices, Food Control, 20, 345-356
Van Kleef, E., Ueland, O., Theodoridis, G., Rowe, G., Pfenning, U., Houghton, J., Van Dijk, H., Chryssochoidis, G. and Frewer, L. (accepted) Food risk management quality: Consumer evaluations of past and emerging food safety incidents, Health, Risk and Society
Houghton J.R., Rowe G., Frewer L.J., Van Kleef E., Chryssochoidis G., Kehagia, O., Korzen-Bohr S., Lassen J., Pfenning U. and Strada A. (2008) The quality of food risk management in Europe: Perspectives and priorities, Food Policy, 33, 13-26
Van Dijk, H., Houghton, J., Van Kleef, E., Van der Lans, I., Rowe, G. and Frewer, L. (2008) Consumer responses to communication about food risk management, Appetite, 50, 340-353
Krystallis A., Frewer L.J., Rowe G., Houghton J.R., Kehagia O. and Perrea, T. (2007) A perceptual divide? Consumer and expert attitudes to food risk management in Europe, Health, Risk and Society, 9, 407-424
Van Kleef E., Houghton J.R., Krystallis A., Pfenning U., Rowe G., Van Dijk, H., Van der Lans, I.A. and Frewer L.J. (2007) Consumer evaluations of food risk management quality in Europe, Risk Analysis, 27, 1565-1580
Krystallis, A., Frewer, L.J., Rowe, G., Houghton, J.R., Kehagia, O. and Perrea, T. (in press) A perceptual divide? Consumer and expert attitudes to food risk management in Europe, Health, Risk and Society.
Houghton, J.R., van Kleef, E., Rowe, G. and Frewer, L.J. (2006) Consumer perceptions of the effectiveness of food risk management practices: A cross-cultural study, Health, Risk and Society, 8 (2), 165-183.
Van Kleef, E., Frewer, L.J., Chryssochoidis, G.M., Houghton, J.R., Korzen-Bohr, S., Krystallis, T., Lassen, J., Pfenning, U. and Rowe, G. (2006) Perceptions of food risk management among key stakeholders: Results from a cross-European study, Appetite, 47 (1), 46-63.
