The classical food risk analysis model, developed in the 1990s, breaks the risk analysis process into three stages: risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication. But some scientists believe that this model – and practices associated with it – may not be addressing consumers’ concerns on challenging food safety issues.

An understanding of risk perception in consumers is important for the development of effective communication strategies in respect of health risk issues. The recently published Eurobarometer report on ‘Risk Issues’ provides valuable insights on how European consumers perceive food safety risks, in particular, and on how they respond to information given about such risks.

As far back as the early 1600s Francis Bacon, an English philosopher, questioned the certainty of (scientific) knowledge. How can we be sure our knowledge is completely reliable he asked? Until that point the tradition of early Greek philosophers gave pre-eminence to logical deduction, but for Bacon this was not enough. He identified both observation of nature and formal experimentation as necessary to test a hypothesis properly. This concept still holds true today, scientific theories are examined from a number of different angles and must be reliably repeated before they become the accepted wisdom to the day.

The high-profile food crises that recently struck Europe, lead to an intensive discussion about the safety of our food supply. It also triggered the creation of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA will be responsible for the science-based assessment of risks, while decisions on management of risks are the preserve of the European Union regulators and policy makers. Risks are assessed and managed in a framework called Risk Analysis. This article explains what Risk Analysis is.

Hardly a day goes by when a story about nutrition or diet doesn't hit the newsstands. Whether it's a new "food scare" or the latest Hollywood diet, nutrition stories make good headlines. And with good reason, because what we eat and drink is something that affects everyone of us. While it can sometimes be difficult to demystify the jargon and try to identify what, if any, changes we need to make to improve our health and well being, there are ways to help identify whether the information is science-based and relevant to you.

Life is inherently full of activities that may affect our health or well being. We face risks every day whether it's by crossing the street, eating food or driving a car. Yet this shouldn't interfere with everyday activities. Although some of us are voluntarily accepting risks related with taking part in high-risk sports, for many of us it can be difficult to decide which less well-known risks to worry about or avoid and which ones to accept.