Austria

WorkshopRisk-communication – Crisis situations: 

Workshop Risk-communication – Crisis situations Roland Grossgut Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Head of risk assessment roland.grossgut@ages.at

Content: 

Content Basic remarks Examples (no real „crisis“ situations) Phthalates in food Sudan Red I Summary

Basic remarks (I): 

Basic remarks (I) in the workshop was born at the agencies meeting in The Hague in December 2004. One of the outcomes of this meeting was: The Czech Republic offered to host a workshop prior to the next meeting in Bonn to discuss approximately five case studies to identify best and worst practices in the priority area of risk communication. It is proposed to discuss the results of the workshop during the meeting in Bonn. Austria and The Netherlands willl assist Czech Republic.

Basic remarks (II): 

Basic remarks (II) Aims of workshop: discussion of approximately five case studies distribution of knowledge and experience communication about some cases happened in the past discussion about lessons learned preparation of an outcome of the workshop

Basic remarks (III): 

Basic remarks (III) Not the aim of the workshop: duplication of work done by EFSA, the European Commission or other similar institutions building up a crisis management plan Presentation of the outcome of discussions: at the next meeting of the heads of the European agencies/authorities Berlin 24.-25. May 2005

Examples: 

Examples Phthalates in food „Home made“ Sudan Red I in Chili „foreign made“ General remark: most of the cases are not real crisis situations, but are an important problem for risk communication

Phthalates in food„home made“: 

Phthalates in food „home made“ Roland Grossgut AGES – Head of risk assessment roland.grossgut@ages.at

Phthalates in food„Crisis“ history (I): 

Phthalates in food „Crisis“ history (I) Cause of the crisis: January 2005: first positive analytical findings - Phthalates in (oily) food at the moment 60 samples with around 25 positive analysis Detection of the source of the crisis: Products in glas jars closed with lids with gaskets on basis of PVC using phthalates as plasticizer contents up to 700 mg Phthalates/kg food

Phthalates in food„Crisis“ history (II): 

Phthalates in food „Crisis“ history (II) Establishing of a crisis unit: more than one step! Contact of laboratory with risk assessment unit in AGES Risk assessment made by risk assessment unit Information and involvement of Federal Ministry for Health and Woman Discussions and Outcome of discussion in the Subcommission „Consumer Goods – Materials coming in contact with food“ of the Codex Alimentarius Austriacus Plenum of the Codex Alimentarius Austriacus

Phthalates in food„Crisis“ history (III): 

Phthalates in food „Crisis“ history (III) Function and role of the crisis units: Coordinated work and discussion of the facts Updating the facts Coordinated discussion with industry and other stakeholders Institutions involved: Analysing laboratory Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Federal Ministry for Health and Women Food Industry Codex Alimentarius Austriacus

Phthalates in food„Crisis“ communication (I): 

Phthalates in food „Crisis“ communication (I) institutions (bodies) involved Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Federal Ministry for Health and Women Food Industry Codex Alimentarius Austriacus European Commission European Food Safety Authority (Advisory Forum)

Phthalates in food„Crisis“ communication (II): 

Phthalates in food „Crisis“ communication (II) participation of NGOs Not directly, but using the plenum of Codex Alimentarius Austriacus how was the communication realised with ministry directly with industry in meetings Letter to European commission Letter to EFSA and presentation at EFSA Advisory Forum meeting

Phthalates in food„Crisis“ communication (III): 

Phthalates in food „Crisis“ communication (III) quality of the communication Good communication to ministry, EC and EFSA Good communication to industry, but “we need time” communication not so fast as we wanted media involved Televison interviewed the laboratory more discussion will come up at the end of april Questions by a journal of UK (Kate Trollope of “EU Food Law”)

Phthalates in food„Crisis“ communication (IV): 

Phthalates in food „Crisis“ communication (IV) frequency of meetings with media and institutions involved No meeting with media Meetings with institutions (officials) nearly weekly With industry one basic meeting experience gained in crisis communication (both positive and negative) Risk communication to all partners from the beginning is very important Use all possible information channels, but do this in a coordinated way

Phthalates in foodOvercoming the „Crisis“: 

Phthalates in food Overcoming the „Crisis“ waste disposal no waste contaminated food and feed disposal changing food in the retail, automatically due to substitution of food measures taken in contaminated area no contaminated area

Phthalates in food - Overall evaluation of „crisis“ management: 

Phthalates in food - Overall evaluation of „crisis“ management problems remaining to be solved Fade out of “contaminated” products crisis management (plan) functionality No real crisis management plans existing – very urgent need of finishing this work co-operation of bodies and institutions involved Very good cooperation with national and international bodies good cooperation with industry because of only few media reactions until yet

Phthalates in food - Overall evaluation of „crisis“ management: 

Phthalates in food - Overall evaluation of „crisis“ management lessons learned create good risk/crisis management plans involving all partners from the beginning think over issue management for the future discuss immediately with stakeholders/industry COMMUNICATE AND COMMUNICATE AND COMMUNICATE AND…………

Sudan Red in Chili-products„foreign made“: 

Sudan Red in Chili-products „foreign made“ Roland Grossgut AGES – Head of risk assessment roland.grossgut@ages.at

Sudan Red in Chili „Crisis“ history (I): 

Sudan Red in Chili „Crisis“ history (I) Cause of the crisis: Positive findings 2003, Routine-Analysis of Sudan Red because of recommendation of the EK New discussion 2005 because of „new“ findings in UK Detection of the source of the crisis: Imported products (chili) into the European Union Use of this products, imported before 2003, in different processed food (Worchester Sauce)

Sudan Red in Chili„Crisis“ history (II): 

Sudan Red in Chili „Crisis“ history (II) Establishing of a crisis unit: no real crisis unit Problem of risk communication Function and role of the crisis units: Institutions involved: Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Risk assessment unit Risk communication unit Federal Ministry for Health and Women Industry/Retail regarding imported products (RASFF)

Sudan Red in Chili„Crisis“ communication (I): 

Sudan Red in Chili „Crisis“ communication (I) institutions (bodies) involved Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Federal Ministry for Health and Women participation of NGOs no how was the communication realised because of media interest “reactive” risk-communication information on www.ages.at

Sudan Red in Chili„Crisis“ communication (II): 

Sudan Red in Chili „Crisis“ communication (II) quality of the communication reactive with the problem of lack of data and information, especially due to missing possibility getting direct information by RASFF-System media involved print media television and radio

Sudan Red in Chili„Crisis“ communication (III): 

Sudan Red in Chili „Crisis“ communication (III) frequency of meetings with media and institutions involved no direct meetings with media, all information exchange by telefon or electronic media experience gained in crisis communication (both positive and negative) new “old” emerging risks may be fatal for risk communication prior information from one agency to another would be of advantage missing possibility to get direct information leads to problems in risk communication

Sudan Red in ChiliOvercoming the „Crisis“: 

Sudan Red in Chili Overcoming the „Crisis“ waste disposal no waste contaminated food and feed disposal changing food in the retail, automatically due to substitution of food measures taken in contaminated area no contaminated area

Sudan Red Chili - Overall evaluation of the „crisis“ management: 

Sudan Red Chili - Overall evaluation of the „crisis“ management problems remaining to be solved not for this case, but preparing issue management building up information networks (eg. EFSANET) co-operation of bodies and institutions involved good, but information exchange sometimes to slow for medial reactions

Sudan Red Chili - Overall evaluation of the „crisis“ management: 

Sudan Red Chili - Overall evaluation of the „crisis“ management lessons learned need for issue management need for direct information for agencies (risk assessment and risk communication units) (eg. RASFF) prior information to other member states agencies, not only by RASFF (information network, eg. EFSANET and emerging risks)

Overall summary: 

Overall summary Roland Grossgut AGES-Risk assessment

Summary (I): 

Summary (I) Lessons learned each „crisis“ differs from the other issue management may be useful immediate discussion with all partners and stakeholders/industry absolutely necessary „warming up“ „old“ risks without prior information of others may be fatal

Summary (II): 

Summary (II) Recommendations possibility for risk assessors and risk communicator to get informations out of CIRCA-RASFF networking between agencies building up issue management building up functional and tested crisis/risk mamangement plans

Risks may lead to a crisis,but crisis do not always deal with risks!: 

Risks may lead to a crisis, but crisis do not always deal with risks! Roland Grossgut AGES-Risk assessment