Chemical food safety, public awareness and risk communication Available to Purchase

The choice of subject for a credit paper to pass a university course in food toxicology was analysed as a measure of the curiosity towards different topics. The investigation covers 575 students over 28 years. The choices were analysed against investigations on food safety concerns, the development in the period, the official risk communication campaigns and media detailed scandals. Food additives (131 papers) followed by plant toxins were the most popular subjects, with artificial sweeteners as the most attractive within the additives. Pesticides were only chosen by 21 students, residues of veterinary drugs being even less attractive. To a certain extent choices differed among the two genders. The article proposes a theoretical device “the common basic level of specific curiosity”. This is fairly stable over time, and specific in that the curiosity towards subgroups within the additives differ. These findings should be taken into account when planning risk communication.