Consumer information and dialogue

1
Consumer information and dialogue

• Dr. Pirjo-Liisa Penttilä
• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
• Head of developement

2
Routes of consumer information 1/2

• Different stakeholders with different targets
• Home Basic information hygiene, nutrition,
  storage, food safety
• Schools More information of labelling, food and
  illnesses, environment
• Health care nutrition, special food products

3
Routes of consumer information 2/2

• Food control authorities Advice to food chain
  (responsibilities, in-house control) consumers
  included
• Food and consumer research
• Scientific bases, advice to risk management
  and information
• Marketing Product information, labelling
• Media problems, discussions, consumer advice
• Consumer organisations
• Others

4
Information flow and consumer

• Information splitted and detailed
• Information missing
• Too much information, false messages
• Data is not updated (internet)
• Mostly negative information

5
Persistant consumer opinions

• Needs for national surveys
• Domestic fears to be recognised
• Typical for many countries
• domestic products are safe
• fear of chemicals
• Reasons Agricultural background, protection of
  domestic markets, scandals

6
Ranking of risks is missing

• Risk assessment needed also nationally
• Expose assessment for chemicals with different
  consumer groups
• Evalualion on microbiological risks
• Overweight
• Acute risks or chronic risks

7
ACUTE RISKS FOOD POISONINGS BIOGENIC AMINES FUN
GAL POISONS PESTICIDES FOOD ALLERGENS
CHRONIC RISKS PESTICIDES FOOD ADDITIVES DIOXINS HE
AVY METALS MYCOTOXINS OVERWIGHT
8
INTAKE OF CHEMICALS TARGET VALUES
Nitrite Adults Children Dioxins (adults) Benzoic
acid (children) Nitrate (adults) Lead
Adults Children Cadmium (adults) Methylmercury
(adults) Pesticides (adults)
51
37
35
17
15
1
ADI,PTWI, TDI
9
Changes needed

• Consumers trust must be earned
• Transparent information flow, consumer
  organisations must be taken with the planning
• Well designed official information needed
• - Easy text and clear messages
• - Dialogue with consumers
• - Designed for different consumer
  groups
• Co-operation with stakeholders and
  consumers/consumer organisations

10
Information systems are chancing

• Internet connections more common
• Numerous national and international portals
• Overlapping activities
• Updating problematic
• Solusions? Network of portals by shared
  responsibilites and linking of portals

11
Other possibilities

• Leaflets, quidelines, advice
• Training of trainers
• Training of media
• Targeted information
• Children ? families
• Elderly persons

12
Information strategy needed

• How to warn concumers of dangerous products
• Responsibilities of food chain
• Responsibilities of different authorities
• Planning risk management
• Training for catastrophes