Food crisis
Asked how to deal with a food-related risk situation, almost all of us would agree with two requirements: to provide correct and sufficient information and not to turn on alarms. However, experience shows us a very different result: confusing information, violent reactions and terrors. To a greater or lesser extent, we have turned into crisis all the risk situations generated by food.
In this issue, the article on food crises says that communication is the key to good management. And, certainly, it is. It is significant, however, that the European Food Information Council insists on the same basic lessons in the crisis now caused by the bacteria E. coli and in 2003, when it has occurred by acrylamides. A sign that we repeat the same mistakes.
And we have excellent tools to access and disseminate information, but in the end they do not serve much if data, suspicions, misunderstandings, irresponsible expressions, truths and lies are disseminated in the same way. Now everything is faster, more immediate, and the contradictions come at full speed, even the rectifications, but the change has to be deeper if within another eight years we do not want to go back with it.
It is unacceptable that all positions of responsibility and transmission do not act with responsibility and common sense, and the key will be an excellent communication exercise in the face of a situation of risk, but at the speed we live it seems almost impossible to avoid the crisis, if it does not affect both information and training. If almost everything related to food security, risks and risk prevention is strange to us until an alarm is lit, we will remain subject to fears.
Zu idazle
Zientzia aldizkaria
