Consumer Perception of Food Safety in Europe

Consumer knowledge of food safety in Europe plays an important role in helping to prevent food-borne disease and is one of the main pillars directly relating to the efforts made in raising societal awareness of the types of health-related food safety hazards. The number of studies investigating consumer food safety perception has increased in recent years, particularly because of recent cases of food contamination causing rising consumer concern. The first part of this chapter is about the definition of food safety and the current situation regarding food-borne diseases in Europe, with specific focus on the European Union, the European Economic Area, the Balkan region, Russia and Ukraine. The following part explores a series of food scandals which have influenced consumer perception, and is divided into European food safety incidents, global food safety incidents, and food-borne incidents originating at home. Here the authors limit themselves to selected studies regarding consumer food safety practices at home using the Slovenian population as an example. The authors emphasise the paradigm change regarding European food safety legislation (e.g. labelling), official food control, the role of the media and politicians in the perception of food safety, and European consumer views about food safety as measured through the Eurobarometer surveys. In concluding this chapter, the authors surmise their future recommendations related to important topics which have a significant impact on consumer food safety perception (legislators /policy makers, governments, industry, media, researchers, food safety educators and also consumers themselves).