Communication
Risk communication is a key component of the risk analysis model used by FSANZ and is used in all projects, large or small, including standard setting and food emergencies. During the year, we focussed on improving the risk communication capacity of the agency and our regulatory partners.
In 2006-07, the Implementation Sub Committee (ISC) formally recognised the Government Food Communicators Group, chaired by FSANZ, as a working group of ISC and asked it to conduct a national audit of all electronic and print publications for both consumers and industry. The Group comprises communicators from food areas of State and Territory jurisdictions, Australian Government agencies and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority. The Group has also worked on developing communication strategies for folic acid and iodine mandatory fortification, established a national events diary and has shared information on food emergencies through the National Food Safety Incident Protocol.
We helped to establish a communicators’ group between Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States and have made contact with communicators in the United Kingdom, Ireland, China and Hong Kong with a view to sharing information, particularly on food emergencies.
Media and information services
Media relations
FSANZ provides a 24-hour, 7-day a week response to media enquiries. During the year, we responded to numerous food issues, including mandatory fortification with folic acid and iodine, heath and nutrition claims, cloning, GM foods, benzene in soft drink, food additives, nanotechnology, trans fatty acids and food labelling issues, including front-of-pack labelling.
We received 683 media enquiries and issued 28 media releases. Figure 7 shows the distribution of the enquiries throughout the year. Media outlets can greatly assist us to disseminate information about food emergencies, health messages and our general consultation process and so we regard the media as an important stakeholder.
Website and new media
Our website receives an average of 7,000 visits a day and it plays a key role in our consultation process, as well as providing information for consumers, food businesses and enforcement agencies. In 2006-07, we reorganised material so it was easier to find, improved the search engine and upgraded the content management system so material could be published more speedily. We launched stage 1 of the new website in August 2006; feedback from users has been positive. We have commenced work on stage 2 of the website redevelopment, which will include updated consumer material, including interactive material and a database to assist in answering food business enquiries.
In addition, we sent 41 electronic updates to stakeholders by bulk email to inform them of current regulatory developments.
Industry and consumer advice
The FSANZ Advice Line assists food businesses to navigate their way around the Food Standards Code, and also responds to consumer enquiries. This year, the Advice Line answered 8,817 enquiries, with a further 2,772 enquiries from consumers to our information officer (Figure 8).
The majority of enquiries came from industry 55% (56.1% in 2005-06), followed by lawyers and consultants 16% (22.3%), government agencies 17% (14.4%), consumers 7% (5.6%) and community groups 5% (1.6%).
We put in place an improved service for enforcement agencies by giving them a direct telephone line for advice on the Food Standards Code. Advice Line staff have also been present at a number of conferences and conventions attended by environmental health officers to answer their questions and to conduct seminars. This service helps them to assist small food businesses directly.
We expect enquiries from consumers and food businesses to increase in 2007-08 as major new standards are likely to be gazetted, including health claims and mandatory fortification of food with iodine and folic acid. In addition, new arrangements for applying to amend the Code, coming into effect on 1 October 2007, will increase pressure on the Advice Line. Our intention is that improved information for industry and consumers on our website will assist in answering these enquiries.
Education and information campaigns
Food Safety Week
FSANZ is a founding member of the Food Safety Information Council, a not-for-profit group with members from government, consumers, health professionals and industry and with the role of educating consumers in food safety. The main theme of 2006 Food Safety Week was ‘Young people leaving home’, with follow-up messages for non-custodial parents who may be cooking for their children on access visits. Media coverage was extensive, reaching a total audience of 48.8 million people, with 37% claiming to have seen, read or heard information in the media relating to Food Safety Week and safe food handling.
Television was the main source of most people’s information (31%), followed by newspapers (15%), radio (10%) and the internet (3%). By state, South Australians were significantly more likely to recall the activity than residents of any other state. Those living in regional areas, the over 50s and those in blue collar households were also somewhat more likely to have encountered information on food safety recently. This was broadly consistent across each of the media types.
Labelling, healthy eating and allergy information
The FSANZ Act allows for us to work in partnership with other organisations on education projects. This year we specifically focussed on assisting consumers to make healthier food choices through a better understanding of food labels.
In May, the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Senator Brett Mason, launched the book Choosing the Right Stuff to explain food labelling to consumers. The book also includes additional information on allergens, a full list of food additives and a list of the kilojoule and fat content of common foods. The book was reviewed by, and had input from, the Dietitians’ Association of Australia, Nutrition Australia, the New Zealand Dietetics Association, the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation, Anaphylaxis Australia and Allergy New Zealand. It is commercially available through bookshops in Australia and New Zealand.
We also provided funding to Anaphylaxis Australia to produce a series of cards that allergy sufferers and their families could use to identify the names of key allergens – for example, the dairy card identifies casein and whey as dairy products. Cards have been produced for fish and seafood, nuts, peanuts, soy, dairy and wheat.