Food Safety – A Matter of Conscience

Food Safety – A Matter of Conscience

Dear Food Safety Ambassador,

There’s a lot of science behind the concept of food safety. Sometimes it even feels as if we try to make it as complicated as possible by using fancy words that only a select few people understand.  We have a million acronyms and are close to having our own unique language.

Although we understand and appreciate the importance of science and technology in our field, we are leaving a trail of confusion, frustration, and ignorance in our wake.  It’s time to consider food safety not only as a science or even a matter of behaviour but also as a matter of conscience.

Now this is one of those “easier said than done” scenarios, because we know we can teach people the theory of science. In fact, we can even change people’s behaviours to a certain extent.  The question is, can we give someone a conscience? Now, we don’t have the answer to that question, but we do know that a greater sense of awareness definitely nurtures a conscience of sorts. Understanding the impact of your actions and knowing that precious lives are in your hands certainly makes you think twice, doesn’t it?

So, unless you are a serial killer, you can imagine what it would be like to lose a loved one because of an undeclared allergen on a label. Or visiting a close friend in hospital fighting a losing battle against a Listeriosis infection they contracted from a contaminated salad. And here we go again; using these big words that only confuse and lead to ignorance.

Let’s try that again. Imagine someone you care about became sick or even died from something they ate, and you know you could have prevented it…

Tune in and switch on – we need your conscience.

Still coming up in 2021:

Until next week…

Food Bites Team