Second Look: Food recalls: How should the industry respond?

Friday, October 10, 2008

It seems that each week the media reports yet another food recall – grapes, bean sprouts, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, luncheon meat. Is this rise in the number of recalls and scares making consumers more aware or contributing to their apathy?

In 2007, Razor Public Relations in the United Kingdom conducted a consumer survey after a series of high-profile brand incidents rocked the U.K. food industry. The survey found that about 67 per cent of shoppers said they are hardly aware of national product alerts and only 17 per cent trust a manufacturer or retailer to give them accurate information on the scare or recall.

It is not surprising that, with the barrage of so many tainted food warnings, consumers may have tuned out or may even have removed the product in question from their grocery list indefinitely. The latter choice could hurt agriculture and the food sector. Although consumers today are knowledgeable and educated, one certainly cannot doubt the influence that daily media headlines like "16 Dead – 65 Critical – Getting Worse" can have on their purchasing decisions.

So, whether it is awareness or apathy, how does an industry or organization engage and inform the consumer so that, when a crisis does hit, they can determine fact from fiction?  Ongoing and relevant food safety and agriculture education play a critical role in creating consumer confidence. Knowing the regulations and safety standards surrounding farming practices, animal welfare, public health and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency can help to establish a trusted relationship with the consumer.

If or when a crisis does hit, the media may be the only way to reach the consumer. Make no mistake, consumers want the truth over a lie or exaggeration and accepting responsibility goes a long way to retaining customer confidence. Maple Leaf should be commended on their actions during their recent crisis in this regard.

Even during a crisis, positive messaging from credible sources can be communicated.  How a situation is handled will affect the consumer long after the crisis has passed. And retaining or regaining that trust and loyalty is a 24/7 responsibility which the entire agriculture and food industry must bear. BP

Mary Jane Quinn is the Assistant Director, Marketing with Ontario Pork.