The
public worries too much about mad cow disease and the dangers of GMOs and not enough about bacteria-related hazards (E.
coli, right), according to a study published in the Journal of Food Safety. The study surveyed 143 food safety experts
in Ireland to gauge their opinions about the public's understanding of food safety issues. According to an abstract of the study, experts had
little confidence in the general population's ability to understand and assess food risks and process scientific
information. Many of the experts surveyed also felt hesitant about speaking in uncertain terms, even when necessary,
for fear that the public isn't able to cope with uncertainties. Others wished they had better guidelines on how to
communicate with the media. [Via FoodConsumer.org (note: there seems to be a discrepancy between FoodConsumer's number of experts involved and that of the abstract.)]














