Risk communication guidelines for Europe: a modest proposition

The purpose of this paper is to firstly develop a series of so-called risk communication guidelines via the risk perception and communication literatures that in turn can be used by media, industry and regulators. In the second part of the paper, the draft guidelines are tested against a number of food scares ranging from aspartame to Sudan 1, and semicarbazides in baby food. In the final section of the paper, the usefulness of the guidelines is analysed and a number of key recommendations put forward.