How do consumers perceive food safety?

With the "BfR Consumer Monitor", the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment regularly tries to determine how the public's trust in food safety is doing.

The authority's latest representative survey confirmed the growing interest in consumer issues. The respondents trust scientists and consumer protection organizations, but less industry and politics.

The greatest health risks associated with food were cited by 22% of respondents - not residues, for example, but high levels of sugar, fat or salt in food. Undesirable substances and additives in food were each perceived as a threat by 11% of people.

The interviews also asked about attitudes toward specific issues.

People are most concerned about the issues of antibiotic resistance (57%) but also more concerned about the issue of microplastics in food. (54%).

In the BfR press release, Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel, President of the BfR, emphasizes: "Microplastics in food worry more than half of the respondents. However, based on the current state of knowledge, it is unlikely that plastic particles in food pose any health risks to humans."(translated from German)

Food analysis can largely allay fears related to antibiotic use. We have comprehensive veterinary drug screening procedures to reliably and sensitively detect possible contamination in food. In the meat and dairy processing industries, regular inspections are included in company audit plans, and the authorities also closely monitor the use of antibiotics throughout the entire process chain.

When it comes to microplastics in food, on the other hand, we are not yet equally well positioned in terms of routine analysis. Method development is still in the early stages here, and data and standards are also lacking for evaluation.

YOUR PLUS: AGROLAB follows developments in the field of "microplastics in food" very closely.

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger