Food Safety and Regulatory Measures

Biography

Biography: Carla Vartanian

Abstract

Mass media have a considerable potential effect on health behavior and should be considered as one of the tools that play an important role in communicating about food safety and health research and services to people, as well as in shaping public perceptions and decisions about health. Healthcare professionals may influence the public with credible, evidence-based and up-to-date information on a wide range of health issues either through campaigns promoting the use of specific procedures or through the coverage of health related issues, aiming to encourage the use of effective services and discourage those of unproved effectiveness. The impact of media advertising on adults, children and adolescents is well documented, as is concern about some aspects of the media\'s powerful influence on attitudes and behaviors towards healthy eating habits and lifestyles.
With an estimated two billion people using the Internet worldwide social media applications and the digital environment became the new way people access information. According to the European Food Information Council users of social networks are playing a fundamental role as disseminators of food safety risk and benefit information. So, for food professionals, being able to monitor online conversations could provide an insight into consumers\' perceptions of food issues, and insight in the development of effective communication strategies that provides a framework for developing and delivering messages aimed at changing nutrition and food safety practices. The guidance will continue to evolve over time, just as the field of social media itself is constantly evolving.