Summary
FSS has a duty of care to support consumers in Scotland to understand foodborne risks and how to control them. However for FSS to be able to perform this function we need to understand and measure the level of consumer knowledge, concern and awareness of the risks.
The aim of this project was to conduct qualitative analysis to ascertain knowledge, perception of risk and level of concern about issues related to food safety (such as, unpasteurised dairy products and rare burgers). This is to help FSS identify if known risks and consumers views of a food risk are the same, or where they differ. The results from the Food in Scotland consumer tracking survey report that about three quarters of consumers are concerned about food poisoning however a significant proportion do not report following good hygiene practice (average of 11/20). As FSS has a role in ensuring that consumers have advice and guidance to inform food choices and undertake good food hygiene in the home, this work will help FSS identify where further work needs to be undertaken possibly through the development of new guidance or the refinement of existing advice.
