Communication on food safety: perspective and experience ... · obtained through somatic cell...

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Communication on food safety: perspective and experience of EFSA

Communications

Anne-Laure GassinDirector of Communications

EFSA Stakeholder Consultative PlatformParma, 24-25 April 2008

Stakeholder Platform, Parma 25 April 2008

Agenda

• EFSA's role in risk communications

• How we work: – risk perception & consumer understanding– importance of co-operation with key actors

• A practical example: – animal cloning – work in progress…

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Provide appropriate, consistent, accurate and timely communications on food safety issues to all interested parties, stakeholders and the public at large, based on the Authority’s risk assessments and scientific expertise

Purpose

Communications


EFSA Risk Communication –What are we trying to achieve ?

1. Visibility for EFSA as Europe's food safety watchdog (risk assessment)

2. Open and transparent access to all EFSA outputs, largely via website (www.efsa.europa.eu)

3. Timely and accurate public announcements on risk assessments and key EU-wide issues

4. Accessible and relevant messages on food safety issues5. Close co-ordination of communications with:

Member States to achieve more consistent and culturally sensitive output (eg Advisory Forum Working Group on Communication)European Commission and other risk managers to achieve overall coherence in risk communications

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Risk Managers(EC, EP, MS)

Stakeholders (Environment,

Consumer,Health NGOs, Industry)

Media(Food, Health, EU Affairs)

Stakeholders(Scientists/ Academics)

Policy Makers(EU & beyond)

Risk Assessors(e.g. MS)

Concerned Individuals

Who does EFSA communicate with?

Audiences


Tailor Communications approach to information needs

• All opinions published on the EFSA website• Explanatory/web context notes• Web “news stories”• Publications (eg EFSANews)• Press statements/releases for “sensitive”

opinions• Press briefings for “highly sensitive”

opinions• Webstreaming to expand reach

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Food From Cloned Animals Seems Safe, a Panel Finds

La clause de sauvegarde sur le MON 810 est activée

Raccomandazioni Efsaper listeria

Jedem Land seinen Mais(To every country its maize)

Una base de datos europea ayudará a clasificar los alimentos 'saludables'

(A European database will help classify ‘healthy’ foods)

Blue tongue epidemic creates loss of 45 million euro

EFSA’s evaluation of the safety of food flavouring substances-

an update

Cloned animal meat is safe to eat, says EU food watchdog

300 food health claims sent to EU body for adjudication

Growing media interest


Bridge the GAP between science and the consumer(Advisory Group on Risk Comm)

How we work

Understand CONSUMER PERCEPTION of food and food safety risks(Eurobarometer report, Feb 2006)

Promote COHERENT risk communications(Advisory Forum WG on CommPre-notification of press releases)

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Advisory Forum Working Group on Communications since November 2003:

Network of communications units from EFSA, Member States and CommissionKey to promoting coherence in communicationsCo-ordination of risk communications; exchange information; evaluate efforts; develop best practicesEarly warning on emerging/topical issuesPre-notification of press releases sent under embargo

Coherence in communications


Animal Cloning:a practical example of work in

progress

EFSA Risk Communications

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Animal cloning

The European Commission requested EFSA to advise on food safety, animal health, animal welfare and environmental implications of live animal clonesobtained through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technique, their offspringand of the products obtained from those animals.

Mandate

February 2007


Animal Cloning: EFSA timetable

Acceptance of mandate and timeframe after discussion with EFSA Scientific Committee: April 2007Request for scientific data: April – May '07Draft opinion endorsed for public consultation on 19 December 2007Public consultation: 11 Jan – 25 Feb 2008

--dedicated Stakeholders meeting (7 Feb)

Final opinion of Scientific Committee: (expected July 2008)

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EFSA does not have a mandate to consider ethical, moral or other societal issues beyond its scientific remit but focuses on the scientific risk assessment and its final opinion will help inform risk managers in considering any future EU measures

The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) provided the EC with an Opinion which complements EFSA’s work (16.01.08)

USA: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Opinion on the food safety risks (risk assessment & risk management) – 15.01.08

Animal Cloning: background


Communications approach

• Proactive, clear and open communications with regular updates at each stage– From mandate, to public consultation, stakeholder

meeting etc…– Website, media relations, stakeholder engagement

• Dialogue with key actors and interested parties:– Stakeholder Consultative Platform – Participation in EGE roundtable on ethical aspects of

animal cloning in the food supply (Sept '07)– Scientific discussion at EFSA Scientific Forum – Nov

'07– Dedicated stakeholder meeting (7.02.08)– Ongoing dialogue with European Commission

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Communications approach

• Prerequisite for effective risk communications: understand both science and public perceptions

Advice sought from social scientists to help:Assess public(s) perceptions and anticipate reactionsUnderpin appropriate communications strategies, messages and stakeholder dialogue

Workshop organised (June 07) with social science experts

Report to EFSA on consumer perceptions of food products from cloned animals (published Feb 08)


Cloning on EFSA’s Website

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Media coverage cloning –timeline Jan 07-Feb 08

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Jan-07

Feb-07

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Jan-08

Feb-08

- EFSA received mandate from EC

- EFSA’s draft scientific opinion - FDA opinion- EGE report on ethical aspects of cloning


Media coverage cloning –per country

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Italy

German

y UK

France

Netherlan

ds

Greece

Sweden

Switzerla

ndSpain US EU

BelgiumPoland

Czech

rep

Austria

Denmark

Irelan

d

Romania

Hungary

Slovakia

Norway

Finland

Portugal

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Key messages: mandate –March 2007

EFSA has received a request from the EC to assess possible implications of cloning for food safety, animal health, animal welfare and environment in the EU. Priority will be given to this work

EFSA’s Scientific Committee will lead the work as animal cloning issues cut across different scientific panels

EFSA understands the EC request for opinions both from EFSA and the EGE as cloning involves ethical aspects

At present in Europe cloning is not a commercial practice and there is no specific regulation on the autorisation of food products from cloned animals for human consumption. EFSA’s opinion will help inform any future EU measures for cloned animals and their products


EFSA’s draft conclusions suggest that it is not likely that food from cloned animals or their offspring would introduce any new food safety issues compared to food derived from conventionally bred animals. EFSA recognises that uncertainties exist, particularly due to limited data, and acknowledges that there are health and welfare issues for animal clones

EFSA is now publicly consulting on the draft opinionand hope to receive feedback before finalisation of conclusions in the spring

EFSA’s work will help inform any future European measures in relation to animal clones and their products such as milk and meat

Key messages: draft opinion January 2008

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Overview of media coverage January 2008

Significant level of coverage with several peaks in January due to:

Topical and sensitive issue

New technology

Ethical resonance

Animal welfare concerns

Other actors in media:Close proximity of the draft with the FDA’s final report Close follow-up of the EGE opinion

Risk management concerns, eg:Questions re regulatory framework/authorisationConsumer information requirementsPossible US/international trade implications


EFSA draft risk assessment: January 2008

Cloned animal meat is safe to eat, says EU food watchdog

La UE aprueba el consumo de animales clonados (EU approves consumption of cloned animals)

Food From Cloned Animals Seems Safe, a Panel Finds

'Dolly burgers' a step closer

Europe rules eating cloned animals is safe

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EU ethics panel opposes cloning on livestock

Panel doubts animal cloning ethics

L’Europe se divise sur la viande clonée

EU ethics group advises against cloning animals for

food

Other actors in the media: EGE

AFP


Other actors in the media: European Commission

MIDDAY EXPRESSNews from the Press and Communication Service's midday briefing

Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Service Presse et Communication

17/01/2008Commission receives scientific and ethics opinions regarding food from cloned animals

EU probes food safety of animal clones (15 Januray 2008)

“The public will be able to have a say when the European Commission carries out a survey of attitudes towards cloned food”

“USA, OK alla carne clonata. E in Italia è già allarme” (16 January 2008)

L’Unione Europea non si è ancora espressa ufficialmente in merito. Ma se è vero che per oggi ha incaricato il proprio Comitato etico di esprimersi in merito e che entro l’anno avvieràuna consultazione fra tutti i cittadini del continente..

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Other actors in the media: FDA report

17 January 2008


Address media interest in (perceived) diverging views and knowledge gaps regarding role of institutions.

Clarify positioning of EFSA with respect to:Risk Managers: in the EU and globally ieEFSA (risk assessor) different from FDA (risk assessor & risk manager)

Other consultative bodies (EGE) – no diverging views but different mandates

DRAFT opinion at that stage

Responding to criticismson draft risk assessmentsome not concerning risk assessment but acceptability of technology and/or risk management implications

Communications challenges

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Pursuit of communications activities

• EFSA statement published welcoming EGE opinion, addressing important ethical and societal concerns outside EFSA's scientific remit

• Technical meeting with stakeholders on EFSA draft opinion involving all key actors: EFSA, EGE, European Commission. Opportunity for open dialogue and to further clarify:– content and conclusions of EFSA opinion, remaining

information gaps and next steps in finalising opinion– Respective remits of EFSA, EGE and European

Commission– Report published on EFSA website (with agenda,

presentations etc..)


Conclusions: work in progressthe story will continue…

New technology, likely to be socially sensitiveBest practice: openness and transparency at all stagesCoherence: importance of proactive and coordinated communicationsDialogue between and with all interested parties is keyEU food safety system (RA/RM) still needs to be explainedA European and a global issue

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Communication on food safety: perspective and experience ... · obtained through somatic cell...

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