The #EUChooseSafeFood campaign is designed to support citizens in thinking critically about the everyday choices they make about food. It provides practical and easily accessible information to consumers, from help in reading food labels and understanding additives to advice on food preparation and storage. The campaign covers many food-related topics and this year will focus on tips that consumers can follow to ensure good food hygiene at home, how to reduce food waste, and what is being done across the EU to tackle foodborne diseases.
“EFSA works with national food safety authorities and scientists from across Europe to ensure that food is safe, healthy, and sustainable. The #EUChooseSafeFood campaign makes the link between the science of food safety and the food that ends up on our plates, empowering consumers to make good food choices and to create a better understanding of food for everyone. I’m very pleased to see that the campaign is going from strength to strength with more national partners signing up to take part this year than ever before,” said EFSA’s Executive Director, Bernhard Url.
The campaign primarily targets European citizens aged between 25 and 45 with a focus on young parents and people with an interest in food safety and science. It highlights the role of European scientists who work together to safeguard consumers from risks related to food.
Making an impact!
In the first two years of the campaign, #EUChooseSafeFood made a positive impact on consumer awareness and understanding of food safety in the EU. The share of those exposed to the campaign’s messages who recalled that food safety decisions are based on science grew from 2 in 10 in 2021 to 4 in 10 in 2022. Levels of trust in the EU food safety system also improved among those who came into contact with the campaign: 70% of citizens reported they trust the EU and national governments when it comes to food safety in 2022, a 10 percent increase on 2021.
How to get involved!
The launch today of the #EUChooseSafeFood campaign marks the starting point for initiatives that will be rolled out at an EU level and nationally in 16 countries across Europe. In the coming weeks and months, governments and food safety authorities across the EU will launch targeted activities and events for their national audiences under the umbrella of #EUChooseSafeFood.
Those looking to support the campaign are encouraged to visit the #EUChooseSafeFood website which contains a host of information, translated in all official EU languages, on different food safety topics. From the website, you can also download the campaign toolkit which includes visuals, short films, and social media posts in different languages to share on your own channels.
About the campaign
The 16 countries participating in the 2023 #EUChooseSafeFood campaign are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and North Macedonia.
O artigo foi publicado originalmente em EFSA.
