From perception to behaviour: the role of communication in food safety awareness and hygiene practices over time

Effective public health management requires insight into public risk perception. This study synthesizes findings from two series of repeated cross-sectional surveys. The first survey (2009, 2018, 2024) compared consumer and expert risk perceptions. Consumers identified an unhealthy diet as the main food risk from 2018 onwards, whereas experts did so consistently and more strongly. Concerns about chemical risks, such as environmental contaminants, increased over time, particularly among consumers, who rated these risks higher than experts. In 2024, consumers ranked food poisoning third, after environmental contaminants, while experts ranked it second. The second survey (2015, 2021, 2024) examined whether a revised hygiene warning label on poultry packaging could improve kitchen hygiene practices. Approximately 80% of respondents reported reading the label and considered it important and useful. The revised label, using icons rather than text, was rated as clearer and more useful by 87% of readers. Label readers reported safer chicken-handling practices than non-readers. Higher intentions to adopt safer food-handling behaviours were most evident among those with poorer hygiene practices, older adults (65+), and lower-educated individuals under 65. These 15-year repeated surveys, combining expert-consumer comparisons with behavioural assessment, demonstrate the value of evidence-based, targeted risk communication for food safety improvement. • Unhealthy diet is the top perceived food risk for both consumers and experts. • Consumers perceive chemical risks as higher than experts do. • 80% read the revised poultry hygiene label, finding it clearer and more useful. • People who read the hygiene labels report better kitchen practices. • Label had more impact on those with poorer practices, lower education, and older age.