Nearly 40 retailers, representing approximately 6,000 supermarkets, have volunteered to implement "Be Food Safe" through their in-store and external customer communications programs. Originally launched by the USDA and the U.S. Partnership for Food Safety Education, the campaign encourages the use of colorful, modular icons and photography to illustrate the basic safe food handling practices of clean, separate, cook and chill.
According to research conducted by the Partnership, 64 percent of consumers say it is "very important" to follow safe food handling at home, yet many consumers are not consistent in doing so. The same study found that consumers believed it was "very important" to educate the public on safe food handling, with most believing that food companies and the government should provide this information.
"It is important that consumers receive frequent reminders of the importance of safe food handling to reduce the risk of illness," said Shelley Feist, executive director of the Partnership, in a press release.
Odonna Mathews, president of Odonna Mathews Consulting and a RetailWire BrainTrust panelist, said that from her perspective, Wegmans and Giant Food of Landover have been industry leaders over many years in providing numerous food safety messages and programs to consumers. Now she finds many others willing and interested in communicating food safety messages.
"Many of these licensed retailers are using or plan to use the clean, separate, cook, and chill messages and new colorful icons in various ways," said Ms. Mathews. "They include information on their websites, in-store by the meat, deli and produce departments, consumer brochures and magazines, retailer TV and radio shows and announcements, consumer columns in store circulars, as well as kid's tours, cooking schools and in-store demos."
Ms. Mathews also noted that manufacturers have more opportunities to partner with retailers to develop seasonal messages and in-store promotions through the Be Food Safe campaign.
"Food and non-food companies have a role to play," she noted. "With consumer confidence down to 66 percent of shoppers saying they are mostly or completely confident in the safety of the food supply, I believe that retailers and manufacturers can increase their confidence by providing food safety consumer information. Consumers are looking for this type of information."
Moreover, research from the Partnership for Food Safety Education shows that new "Be Food Safe" logo on food products and in-store makes consumers feel more positive about the manufacturer or store.
"With all the recalls this past year, retailers are looking for ways to be pro-active with their customers and the 'Be Food Safe' materials provide one way to do that," said Ms. Mathews. "Innovative manufacturers will look for ways to partner with licensed retailers to develop positive messages and promotions this year."
Discussion question: Do you think food safety programs at retail have become more critical in the wake of the spate of recent recalls in the grocery industry? Should retailers and suppliers be pursuing these programs to ensure public safety, restore trust in their offerings, or for goodwill? What suppliers or manufacturers are most likely to partner with retailers in a broad reaching consumer education effort like this?