Final recommendations
Adopt the detailed, condition-based definition (Option 2B) as the primary proposition
- Use the condition-based structure (age/life stage; underlying health conditions; medications and treatments) as the default format.
- Retain the explanatory ‘why’ language (immune system/ability to fight infection) to increase credibility, understanding and self-identification.
- Feature the opening and closing cumulative-risk statements (“People who fall into one or more of the following….”, “If someone fits into more than one of these groups….”).
Use age terminology that is specific, explained and easy to understand
- Use “older adults, typically people aged 65 and older” rather than “older adults” alone.
- Define “young children” explicitly as “children under 5 years” and include a simple reason (immune system still developing).
- Lead with familiar examples (e.g. “omeprazole and similar acid-reducing medicines”) and then, where needed, add the category label (e.g. “proton pump inhibitors”).
Prioritise messages that address the most common gaps between confidence and practice
- Reinforce the “do not wash raw chicken” message, explaining cross-contamination risk.
- Increase emphasis on fridge temperature control.
- Address use-by dates and leftovers with practical guidance, e.g. safe cooling, storage and reheating rules.
Embed food safety prompts into the places people already look
- Design messaging to feature in contexts such as: on-pack guidance, supermarket environments, recipe/meal content, and quick search results.
- Optimise FSS web content for search and AI retrieval.