Consumer Confidence in Food Risk Management in Europe Results from a multi-phase study E Van Kleef, J Houghton, G Rowe & L Frewer SRA-E, September 2006, Ljubljana

Outline Project background Research questions Study design Qualitative results Quantitative results Implications for food risk management (FRM)

Background EU 6 th Framework Programme project Promoting Food Safety through a New Integrated Risk Analysis Approach for Foods – SAFE FOODS Aims to promote the safety of the European food chain Reinforces EU policy framework of strengthening consumer confidence in food safety

Background Work Package 4 Consumer confidence in food risk management (FRM)

Research questions How are current FRM practices perceived by various stakeholders? Consumers Experts How well do stakeholders understand one another’s views in relation to FRM? What are the factors driving consumer confidence in FRM?

Study design Multi-phase research programme, employing mixed methods Five European countries Denmark Germany Greece Slovenia UK

Study design Qualitative phase Focus groups Consumers Experts (food safety scientists, food risk assessors, food risk managers) Perceptions of effectiveness of current FRM practices Follow-up interviews Focus group participants Confronted with each other’s views on FRM No follow-up interviews in Slovenia

Study design Quantitative phase Cross-national survey on consumers’ food risk management evaluations Internet questionnaire (except Slovenia) Items in survey informed by results from qualitative work 2533 consumer respondents in five countries Representative in terms of gender, age and educational level

Qualitative results Focus groups - five key themes common to consumer & expert participants’ perceptions of FRM Efforts Responsibility Priorities Science Media Issues not represented in the same way by both groups

Qualitative results Efforts made by the authorities to manage food risks Existence of established systems of control “Systems in place”, “prompt action”, “rigorous enforcement” Experts more positive in their evaluations Instigation of preventive measures Provision of information and education Trade off between education & “information overload”

Qualitative results Responsibility Consumer views related to perceived level of control over exposure to risk Experts emphasised the importance of everyone in the food chain taking responsibility for their role in the process of FRM Priorities - is consumer health protection prioritised in FRM? Experts, in general, believe it is Consumers are not so sure

Qualitative results Science – scientific progress and its implications for FRM Consumer participants – concerns about “constant race” and “vicious circle” Expert participants – concerns about complexity and “emerging” or “hidden” risks Media - the impact of media attention of FRM Positive and negative associations What’s being done. What’s gone wrong Experts blamed media for making consumers unnecessarily worried about food safety

Qualitative results Follow-up interviews Often agreement with expressed views Reasons for agreement different – for example … Consumers’ lack knowledge about food safety Authorities make efforts to manage food risks CONSUMER VIEW Due to quality of information Continuing problems & areas not covered EXPERT VIEW Consumers’ lack willingness to acquire information FRM adequate and consumers happy

Quantitative study: data analysis The constructs Proactive consumer protection Opaque and reactive risk management Scepticism in risk assessment and risk communication practices Trust in expertise of food risk managers Trust in honesty of food risk managers

Quantitative results Proactiv e Opaque Sceptical Trust in honesty Trust in expertise FRM quality item1 item2 item3 item4 item7 item8 item13 item14 item17 item18 item28 item29 item33 Measurement model (  2(2400)=7834, p<0.01; RMSEA=0.07).

Quantitative results Proactiv e Opaque Sceptical Trust in honesty Trust in expertise FRM quality Structural model (  2(2420)=8429, p<0.01; RMSEA=0.07).

Quantitative results One of the measurement scales Pro-active consumer protection There is an established system for controlling food risks The authorities will respond quickly if a food safety problem appears The authorities put a lot of effort into preventing food risks Food safety laws are stringently enforced by the authorities

Quantitative study: data analysis Cross-national validity of measurement instrument Configural and metric invariance across countries Country differences in regression coefficients Series of nested structural equation models was tested

Quantitative results: no country differences (-0.11*) (*p<0.05) (0.01) Proactiv e Opaque Sceptical Trust in honesty Trust in expertise FRM quality

Quantitative results: country differences Proactiv e Sceptical Trust in expertise FRM quality (0. 51*)(0. 27*)(1.97*)(0. 57*)(0. 45*) (-0.22)(-0.34*)(-0.30*)(-0.16*)(-0.71) (*p<0.05) (0.57*)(0.99*)(0.30)(0.87*)(0.94*) Opaque Trust in honesty

Quantitative results Factors of universal importance related to food risk management quality evaluations: Pro-active consumer protection Opaque and reactive risk management Trust in the expertise of food risk managers (except Greece) Factors of local importance related to food risk management quality evaluations: Scepticism in risk assessment and communication practices

Implications for FRM For communication Provide the right consumers with the right information through the right source For management Provide proactive communication about various factors inherent in risk management and risk assessment Incorporate the views and opinions of all stakeholders in the process of risk analysis Understand consumer concerns

Thank you!