Abstract
When food companies discover that a product may contain unacceptable levels of pathogens or other contaminants, they usually voluntarily issue a recall notice to recover any unconsumed products thought to pose a risk. These recall notices are intended to alert retailers to remove unsold products from their shelves, and to warn consumers to destroy or return products that they have already purchased. To be effective, food recalls must therefore generate sufficient attention and motivation among consumers that they take appropriate protective actions. Unfortunately, the typically low rates of recovery of recalled food products suggest that this is not happening. To understand why, and to yield insights into how to improve food recall risk communications, a random sample of 1101 American adults in all 50 states was interviewed in August and September of 2008. The results of this national survey suggest that most Americans view food recalls as important and as saving lives. They also report paying considerable attention to recalls and telling others about them. However, many believe that recalls are relevant to others and not to themselves, demonstrating the classic optimistic bias. Indeed, only 59% say they have ever looked for recalled products, and many appear to maintain an illusion of invulnerability with 12% of Americans reporting having eaten a food they thought had been recalled. The survey results also suggest that consumers conduct a kind of “lay risk assessment” to determine whether it is in their interests to pay attention to the recall or to take actions in response. Thus, they appear to highly value information that allows them to judge the potential likelihood and severity of consequences related to a food recall. Consistent with this, 73% of Americans say they would want to receive personalized information about recalls on their receipt at the grocery store, and 64% said they would want to receive such information through a letter or an email.