Is food safety an oxymoron?

Think about that title; is there such thing as perfectly safe food? Definitely not, and we shouldn’t lead consumers to believe that according to William Hueston, Ph.D., D.V.M., a faculty member at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, and director of the Global Initiative for Food Systems Leadership. "Food safety is a journey and not a destination," Hueston says. While food-borne illness outbreaks have lead overseas consumers to shift nearly the entire responsibility and concern of food safety to themselves (based on previous experiences that have discredited their food production industries), typical American consumers depend on the farmer, processor, and lastly themselves to receive a safe, clean, quality meal. During the Agricultural Media Summit held just recently in Fort Worth, Texas, we had the opportunity to listen to Hueston discuss his thoughts on our consumers’ perception of food safety. Hueston has worked with organizations like the FAO and USDA on issues like BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), and H1N1 — what most consumers know as mad cow disease and swine flu.

“We’ve brain washed our consumers into thinking that zero-risk food is attainable,” Hueston said. He believes that this perception of zero-risk food could lead consumers to forget about their important role in the food safety puzzle and the idea of collective responsibility. Developing good messages without a definitive “yes it’s safe” or “no its not safe” answer during food safety crises is what he believes can change that. Hueston suggests that, in the event of a food safety concern like swine flu or BSE, we give a open, honest answer to consumers on what research says we know and what we do not know. And, in most cases, there is plenty that we do not know.

What do you think? Do we approach food safety concerns the wrong way by saying, “Our products are completely safe — you don't need to worry.”?