6. raising consumer awareness

6. Raising Consumer Awareness

Elisa BarilozziCommissariat du gouvernement à la qualité,

à la fraude et à la sécurité alimentaire

Luxembourg

EFSA 46th Focal Point Meeting20th May 2021

7A rue Thomas Edison L-1445 StrassenCommissariat alimentaire

Raising Consumer AwarenessElisa Barilozzi - Luxembourg 46th Focal Point Meeting – 19-20 May 2021

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Background

➢ La sécurité dans mon assiette - “Safety on my plate”

➢ Since 2008 - as an EFSA Focal Point activity, addressing:

• Politicians

• National authorities

• Scientists

• FBO safety managers

• Other interested parties

➔New national and European developments in food safety

➢ No initiatives to inform consumers about Food safety in Luxembourg



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➢ 2018 : Test consumer event

➢ Success but needed to be even more consumer friendly

➢ Since 2019 : new strategy

Background

Consumer

eventScientific

event

➢ 2020 and 2021: Covid-19 situation

• Consumer event – not suited as online event

• New alternatives needed



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Initiatives : Consumer Event

➢ 2019

➢ After work

➢ Short presentations (+-10 minutes)

➢ Very basic topics

➢ Verified consumer-friendly presentations

➢ Held in lb with fr translation

➢ Followed by Meet & Eat



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Initiatives : Consumer Event

➢ Involvement of the public

• Nationally known moderator

• Questions / Polls with the public

• Scientific experiments involving food

➢ Meet and Eat : possibility to talk directly with the experts around a thematic table



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Initiatives : Quiz on food safety

➢ 2020

➢ 10 questions on food safety out of a pool of 20 questions

➢ Multiple choice with further explanation of the answer

➢ Nearly 1300 participants responding to all questions

➢ 3 main winners (basket), and 7 consolation prices (small gadgets –all including EFSA Factsheets)

➢ Questions & answers published: Link (in lb and fr)

https://securite-alimentaire.public.lu/fr/actualites/communiques/2020/06/Quiz-resolution.html



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Initiatives : Quiz on food safety – Examples*

➢ What does FCM stand for?

• Fried Chicken Method - American way of frying chicken

• Food Contact Materials - Any material that comes into contact with food and must meet defined requirements.

• Food Chilling Measures - Measures taken to maintain the cold chain until products reach the consumer

➢ Additives are substances that are deliberately added to a product to achieve desired properties. Which of the additives listed below does NOT actually exist?

• E160 -Carotenoid, a coloring agent found naturally in apricots or carrots.

• E330 -Citric acid naturally found in citrus fruits and used as an acidifying agent.

• E-007 - A safety agent with a license to kill microbial

➢ EFSA – What is it?

• European Food Safety Authority – *translation in French and LU*

• Excellent Food Solutions Agency - a non-profit organisation to improve the supply of healthy food for everyone.

• Europe's Fruity Sweet Apples - a protected quality label for apples in Europe

➢ EFSA is the European Food Safety Authority. What exactly is it about?

• Analysing the risk so that no one in Europe needs to suffer from hunger and that we all have enough food

• Studying the risk to humans in relation to the various substances in our food.

• Monitoring the canteens of the European institutions to ensure that the employees do not eat bad food.



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Initiatives: short films

➢ Replace the consumer event during pandemic

➢ Same subjects as planned on agenda (lb with fr, de, ensubtitles)• General labelling

• Food Allergens

• Additives

• Nutrition and health claims

➢ Main messages: • EFSA responsible for the risk assessment of these substances

• Food safety is based on scientific facts

➢ Soon new videos (end 2021?)• Risk assessment (microbiological, chemical, pesticides, VMP, EFSA,

Danger vs Hazard etc. ) - t.b.d.

https://etat.kiss.lu/media/embed?key=174f6569f9562797c80e8d534e67b35c&width=720&height=405&autoplay=false&autolightsoff=false&loop=false&chapters=false&related=false&responsive=false&t=0&loadonclick=true&thumb=true%22%20data-src=%22https://etat.kiss.lu/media/embed?key=174f6569f9562797c80e8d534e67b35c&width=720&height=405&autoplay=false&autolightsoff=false&loop=false&chapters=false&related=false&responsive=false&t=0&loadonclick=true%22%20class=%22%22%20width=%22720%22%20height=%22405%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen=%22allowfullscreen%22%20allowtransparency=%22true%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%3E

https://etat.kiss.lu/media/embed?key=513623226ba5250be640af3c3a8f24db&width=720&height=405&autoplay=false&autolightsoff=false&loop=false&chapters=false&related=false&responsive=false&t=0&loadonclick=true&thumb=true%22%20data-src=%22https://etat.kiss.lu/media/embed?key=513623226ba5250be640af3c3a8f24db&width=720&height=405&autoplay=false&autolightsoff=false&loop=false&chapters=false&related=false&responsive=false&t=0&loadonclick=true%22%20class=%22%22%20width=%22720%22%20height=%22405%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen=%22allowfullscreen%22%20allowtransparency=%22true%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%3E

https://etat.kiss.lu/media/embed?key=f028ff7fb46b01388ae5d29a9c3dcbb5&width=720&height=405&autoplay=false&autolightsoff=false&loop=false&chapters=false&related=false&responsive=false&t=0&loadonclick=true&thumb=true%22%20data-src=%22https://etat.kiss.lu/media/embed?key=f028ff7fb46b01388ae5d29a9c3dcbb5&width=720&height=405&autoplay=false&autolightsoff=false&loop=false&chapters=false&related=false&responsive=false&t=0&loadonclick=true%22%20class=%22%22%20width=%22720%22%20height=%22405%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen=%22allowfullscreen%22%20allowtransparency=%22true%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%3E

https://etat.kiss.lu/media/embed?key=fb6b713a89537eb642e2d5f06da5b325&width=720&height=405&autoplay=false&autolightsoff=false&loop=false&chapters=false&related=false&responsive=false&t=0&loadonclick=true&thumb=true%22%20data-src=%22https://etat.kiss.lu/media/embed?key=fb6b713a89537eb642e2d5f06da5b325&width=720&height=405&autoplay=false&autolightsoff=false&loop=false&chapters=false&related=false&responsive=false&t=0&loadonclick=true%22%20class=%22%22%20width=%22720%22%20height=%22405%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen=%22allowfullscreen%22%20allowtransparency=%22true%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%3E



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Initiatives: Post cards

“Best before” and “use-by” dates

Five Keys to Safer Food

(WHO)



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Social Media

➢ Facebook – to address consumer

• Post, Videos, Sponsored Campaigns

Defrosting food safely

https://www.facebook.com/MPCLuxembourg/

https://fb.watch/5zvUfRutFI/

https://fb.watch/5zvUfRutFI/



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Social Media

➢ LinkedIn – to address professionals

• Sharing of EFSA directly

• Sharing of EFSA content from our website

https://www.linkedin.com/company/65341949/admin/



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Other ideas

➢ Promotion of EFSA through TV Show of Mister Science : PISA de Wëssensmagazin

• With presentation of Luxembourgish scientists at EFSA

➢ 2021 : Food safety Game for “World Food Safety Day”

https://www.rtl.lu/tele/pisa-de-wessensmagazin



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Best practices

➢ Basic language• Food safety – Neglected topic for consumers

➢ Specific examples from everyday life

➢ Help from “celebrity”• Mr. Science : character elaborated by FNR -

Luxembourg National Research Fund

➢ EFSA Consumer initiatives• Ex.: Defrosting food safely

➢ Collaboration with CEN members• Work with people with communication

experience

➢ Food safety website: consumer section

https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.innovation.public.lu%2Fen%2Fdecouvrir%2Fjeunes%2Fjeunes-scientifiques%2Fmister-science%2Findex.html&data=04%7C01%7C%7C8f8da56027f540a35f1d08d904c92bb9%7C406a174be31548bdaa0acdaddc44250b%7C1%7C0%7C637546084347161911%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=it6P%2FKlpEAKnlIU0w3oPdyDQ9wTRhKElyVXwSy3itP0%3D&reserved=0

https://www.fnr.lu/

https://securite-alimentaire.public.lu/fr/consommateur/ConseilConsommateur.html



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Challenges & perspectives

➢ Food safety not the main interest

➢ Food safety not tangible enough

• Consumers want “Yes-No” answer

➢ Finding the middle way: attractive for consumer but still informative / educational

➢ Specifically for Luxembourg

• New ministry: difficulties to reach consumers

• Language : Luxembourgish / French / German – English?

• Politically not every topic is fit for discussion

‒ Pro-contra: GMOs, organic vs. pesticides



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Thank you for your attention!

Any questions?

6. raising consumer awareness

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