More than 93 percent U.S. consumers have recently read or heard reports of food safety issues and recalls and almost a fourth of Americans said the recalls will change their long term food buying behavior, according to a new study of U.S. consumer attitudes about food safety published today by Burson-Marsteller and Penn Schoen Berland.
How these crises unfold through the news, through social media networks, and throughout the food marketing chain, create new and potentially crippling vulnerabilities for food companies. Federal and state officials are now looking at fundamental issues related to food safety in radically different ways.
Through all of this change, consumer expectations for quick and specific information have never been higher. They want as much information as possible when a problem is discovered, they expect to be told the facts immediately, and a majority of Americans think the food safety system is broken.
Taken together, these challenges test food companies and communicators at a greater level than ever before. Only 15 percent of Americans agree the food safety system in the U.S. is well prepared to deal with any further food contamination outbreaks.
Burson-Marsteller’s expertise in food communications and product recalls spans decades: From the Tylenol scare, to the first-ever detection of BSE (mad cow disease) in the U.S., and melamine tainted pet food from China, our crisis pros have developed award winning strategies to recall tainted products, restore consumer confidence, and help brand name products and industries alike to successfully recover from crises.
Of course, the best time to address a crisis is before one occurs. And, B-M’s crisis communications pros have a range of offerings to help food companies assess their readiness to respond including a Quick Food Safety Communications Check Up.
Contact our experts to learn more about our range of services, or to assess whether your organization is prepared and ready to respond effectively in the event of a food safety incident.