Since the end of the EU-funded project in October 2013, FOODRISC’s researchers have provided advice to food authorities and companies in Europe and China on the best ways to communicate during a crisis situation.

In 2014 and 2015 to date, Wall has been to China several times to present the project’s approach to communications to the country’s National Centre for Food Safety and Risk Assessment (CFSA), which is the Chinese equivalent of the European Food Safety Authority. Since then, University College Dublin has started a project with the CFSA to adapt aspects of the FOODRISC’s research to China.

FOODRISC developed an online resource to help public authorities and companies manage communications on food issues, especially during a crisis. The resource provides guidelines, case studies, tools and tips to help communicators develop effective strategies that inform the public and prevent false information from spreading.

Another online tool developed by the project, Vizzata, helps communicators analyse consumer responses to new, conflicting or uncertain messages on food safety, and provides insights to help them with future communications.

“Social media channels, such as Twitter and Facebook, offer food safety authorities new ways to receive and provide information,” says Wall. “They can also function as an early warning system. Social media is also very effective in helping to educate target audiences on the benefits of healthy eating.”

Read more