FoodRisC - public communication on food risks and benefits

Can you help please?

We are looking for examples of policy and best practice of using social media as a communication/education/advice platform to the public and other interested parties on issues of food safety and benefits specifically. We are also keen to understand other public safety and health applications.

The background for this request:

In association with 13 mainly academic partners we are being funded by the European Commission to research "Food Risk Communication – Perceptions and communication of food risks/benefits across Europe: development of effective communication strategies"

The project lasts from June 2010 until June 2013 and its objective is to make recommendations about the potential use of social media as part of food risk and benefit communications and provide toolkits and guides to enable ‘best practice’ across EU Member States.

Phase 1 is to look at what 'best practice' exists in other countries and also evaluate social media use in the recent Irish pork dioxin contamination. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_pork_crisis_of_2008

Listen to an interview with Professor Patrick Wall, University College Dublin explain the background to the research and why it is important for the public, Governments, national and pan-European food safety authorities and the food industry. http://www.focusbiz.co.uk/clientarea/foodrisc/ 

This was recorded earlier this month (July 2010) at the initial meeting of all the research partners.