Episode 1 - Food choices: beyond gut feelings

Intro (00:09):

Science on the menu, a podcast by the European Food Safety Authority.

Barbara (00:19):

What really matters to you when you decide what to eat? The price of food? Its taste? Maybe its quality, origin, or how it was produced? Do you think about food safety when you buy your food? Would you eat something novel like an insect if science tells you it is safe? Our new podcast, Science on the Menu, explores the science behind the food we eat, how scientists assess health risks to keep us safe, and how we as consumers relate to our food. Hello, I'm Barbara from the European Food Safety Authority EFSA, and I'm speaking to you from Parma in the heart of the Italian Food Valley. In this first episode, we will find out what aspects of food people are most concerned about and how they differ from country to country. To do that, I'm joined by our social insights expert, Domagoj. Thanks for embarking with me on this adventure and welcome!

Domagoj (01:24):

Ciao Barbara. So happy to be here. I'm Domagoj Vrbos, or Doma as colleagues like to call me, and I lead EFSA's strategic communication team. So what do we do? Basically, through social science, we explore audiences across Europe and understand the context in which you work to increase the relevance of our communication.

Barbara (01:46):

In case some of our listeners don't know us, EFSA is a scientific agency of the European Union. Our scientists assess health risks throughout the food chain, spanning from the safety of food and animal feed ingredients to pesticide residues, new plant breeding techniques and new foods. We also provide scientific advice on many other areas such as food related diseases or animal and plant health. Domagoj, can you tell us how social science fits into all of this?

Domagoj (02:17):

First of all, that was a great overview. EFSA is tasked with risk assessment. So we deliver advice to risk managers, but risk communication is a joint task and we must stay at the forefront of understanding the role food safety plays in lives of people. So all the advice produced by our natural and life scientists is communicated with the support of our social scientists. That's why we're here. And each year we produce a number of studies in this area and Eurobarometer on food safety is the latest.

Barbara (02:51):

Yes, and the data that emerged from this Eurobarometer are what we're going to explore today. So stay tuned. Doma barometers forecast the weather, which we know is always changing as per the recently published report. What is important for Europeans when it comes to the food they buy? And have there been any changes in the last three years?

Domagoj (03:13):

Yeah, there have been some changes, Barbara. Cost of food weighs more heavily on Europeans today than a few years ago, and it has become the main factor affecting food purchases. Well, I mean, this is not surprising given the current trends around us. And it's also evidenced by other recently published studies in the EU. Taste comes second. And I like to say that passion is always somewhere there in the top. And what about you, Barbara?

Barbara (03:39):

Well, taste would definitely come as first for me too. Always. But where's food safety?

Domagoj (03:43):

Food safety comes third. Paired with food origin. And basically what we've tried to explore also this time is the interplay of food safety and the healthy eating to see how people relate these two. And the majority of Europeans will actually give these the same level of concern. So only one in five Europeans will tell you that food safety concern sort of tops the healthy-eating concern. So we have quite a varied audience that we're communicating to.

Barbara (04:10):

Indeed. What was the most mention food safety issue then in relation to food and eating?

Domagoj (04:17):

Well, the spontaneous reaction of people when you ask them about challenges linked to food is impact on health. But when you dive into the topics that EFSA works on, I mean, first of all, I must say that the awareness is quite high. Let's imagine you and I are strolling in a park, with five of our friends, one in five, there's a high chance that one in five has heard about most of the topics we work on at EFSA. And when that translates into concern, the most commonly mentioned are pesticide residues, antibiotics and hormones in meat, additives in food, as well as food poisoning.

Barbara (04:52):

Food poisoning? Is that not the ultimate food safety risk?

Domagoj (04:56):

Eh Barbara now you're opening the real versus perceived risk debate. Food poisoning, a real risk, has made it to the top five this time around. And we feel that awareness of that one among Europeans is important. We also saw some other interesting trends, perception of microplastics, for example. It went up, uh, in I think 25 Member States. Interesting uh? Probably linked to the public discourse on plastics that we are witnessing these days in media and social media.

Barbara (05:25):

And I wonder, are any of the perceived risk, you just mentioned more prominent in some countries than in others? Is there a recognisable pattern, for example, in the Northern countries as opposed to the Southern European ones? Or do the results confirm that we are all, in fact, let's say closer cousins that we might think?

Domagoj (05:45):

<laugh> Well, I would definitely say we are cousins in one way or the other. And let's say definitely when it comes to recognising the linkages between animal, plant and environmental issues to human health. So the One Health concept, as we call it. This was quite high across the continent. And for specific topics, I can't really say that there are findings that would go along the North-South divide also because I'm not a big fan of that divide. And I think it's really more linked to eating patterns. For example, the concern about environmental pollutants in fish will definitely be hiring countries that consume it more. Nordic countries, Portugal, Netherlands were most concerned about the welfare of farmed animals followed by Germany and Luxembourg. And then let's think about, I don't know, plant health. The proportion of people expressing concern about plant diseases were observed in Greece, Slovakia, and Cyprus. So there are differences. And we actually made an interactive map on our website that shows these, and they show how these different concerns around the EU vary. That's quite a cool resource, and I would definitely check it out.

Barbara (06:50):

<laugh>. Yeah. It's such an interesting map. I also recommend that if listeners have time to check it out, they go and do it now. Well, I see from what you're saying that people know what they're afraid of, but do they also know where to turn their attention to for advice on food safety risks? What are the main channels that people use when it comes to food safety information?

Domagoj (07:12):

Hmm. Ta ta ta ta. Television won again, Barbara! I know it sounds old school, but it's not really. Um, we asked about TV on a set or online, and people chose this as a source of info on food safety risks. And this was the case across age groups.

Barbara (07:27):

Ah really?

Domagoj (07:28):

Obviously for the younger population, this was paired by social media and internet. But TV was up there for that group as well. Just shows that you learn about some of the food safety issues in the news. So traditional media still play a role in communication. And by the way, something I know will interest you. Exchanges with family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues came second.

Barbara (07:49):

Second? Wow. Does this also mean consumers rely on word of mouth more than what their GP says? And what about influencers? Are they really able to impact on consumer behaviour as we think? In other words, who are the real experts that people trust?

Domagoj (08:06):

Well, channels and information sources and trust are different things. The data we collect, it tells you that people will discuss food safety at times with their neighbour, family or friends over tea or coffee. But it doesn't mean that people trust their neighbours more than their GP. Actually, when it comes to trust, doctors, scientists working at public institutions and consumer organizations are the three most trusted sources on information. And there were many other actors across the food chain and the civil society spectrum that gained trust of more than half of Europeans farmers, for example. Environmental and health NGOs as well as supermarkets and grocers. And the institutions, how did they rank?

Barbara (08:46):

Oh, I don't know. I hope they actually scored high on the list.

Domagoj (08:49):

<laugh>. Well, they did. You're lucky. Two third of respondents told us that they trust EU institutions and national authorities when it comes to the topic of food safety.

Barbara (08:58):

Great. But is this valid also during a food safety crisis, for example? How do consumers behave during those? Do they listen to institutions or can we say that people tend to self-regulate, meaning that they prefer to follow their own inclinations and ignore public recommendations if these go against their values?

Domagoj (09:19):

Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that almost 80% of Europeans informed us that they would likely change their food preparation or consumption behaviour in a situation of an outbreak.

Barbara (09:31):

Okay.

Domagoj (09:31):

Still 20% would not. And we wanted to go a bit further to see why not. So there we have a number of insights. The most prominent was people said they already prepared food in a way that's recommended. Some gave us a more fatalistic answer: “Ah, you can't avoid all risks”. Right? And then there's a further proportion of Europeans that they believe that they can tell from the look, feel, or taste if the food was contaminated.

Barbara (09:56):

Oh, ouch.

Domagoj (09:56):

Yeah. I mean, here we have to direct our communication a bit. It's positive. People take food safety for granted at times and feel confident about their knowledge. But having your chicken well cooked is not a matter of taste. It's a must. So, I mean, there's still plenty of opportunities to produce materials for our audiences and disseminate through trusted sources in these food safety areas, let's say.

Barbara (10:19):

Indeed. And don't tell our food-borne diseases experts what you just told me, they would be really worried. Well, to conclude from a public organisation perspective, what is the main lessons learned out of this survey, apart from probably GPs and scientists needing more air-time on TV to discuss food safety?

Domagoj (10:39):

How did you know I was gonna say that. Just kidding, Barbara. I think the main finding is that the majority of Europeans will recognise regulations in place. They trust the main actors and they take food safety seriously. I mean, food safety is up there with other factors. It shares discussion space and time with healthy eating. And we know which topics people are aware of and which less. So I think the beauty of having data across the European Union makes this survey really useful. Also for Members States to tailor their activities and for us at EFSA to prioritize ideas for future communication activities and campaigns.

Barbara (11:12):

Great. Thank you. Doma. We are now approaching the end of our work together, but I still have a question for you, a more personal one. I like you to tell us about an episode related to food safety in your everyday life. Non-work related, of course.

Domagoj (11:29):

Hmm. Let me think. Well, something comes to mind from my previous work. When I was monitoring food security and nutrition indicators, I was visiting a community around the area of Esmeraldas in Ecuador. And was greeted with this local fruit, so it had a harder outer shell and a softer center. And of course, I threw away the outer part and beat the inner one, which was the wrong thing to do.

Barbara (11:50):

Oh, no.

Domagoj (11:51):

You should have seen the faces of the locals. <laugh>. It was a bit of a mix of dread and laughter. Thankfully I was fine, but I think it just confirms that you need to know something about the foods you're about to eat. Right?

Barbara (12:01):

Absolutely. Well, to be honest, I would've done exactly the same, I think. Well, okay. We are now at the end of our episode, unfortunately. Thanks so much for being with me today, Domagoj. That was so interesting!

Domagoj (12:15):

Thank you for having me, Barbara.

Barbara (12:17):

I would love to have another entire episode on the social science behind food safety, but I'm also keen to listen to what's already in the pipeline for the next one.

Barbara (12:33):

In fact, we will discuss possible food risks hidden in your Christmas feast, together with Valentina Rizzi, leader of the Biological Monitoring Team at EFSA.

Barbara (12:53):

Thank you for listening to the EFSA podcast, Science on the Menu. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and connect with us on our social media channel.