Science and Communication as the Foundation of Food Safety

A new article in the Journal of Food Protection argues that effective food safety systems depend as much on how science is generated and communicated as on the science itself. Authored by Carmen Diaz‑Amigo, Leticia Bartolomé del Pino, Vittorio Fattori and Catherine Bessy, the paper sets out a shared responsibility agenda for scientists, regulators, industry and communicators to strengthen trust and decision‑making across the food chain.

Food safety decisions increasingly rely on complex, fast‑moving evidence—from novel foods and processing technologies to AI‑enabled monitoring—while public scrutiny and misinformation risks grow. The authors stress that robust, transparent science must be paired with consistent, understandable communication to support risk assessment, policy development and implementation of controls globally.

Core messages

Science must be rigorous, transparent and accountable: limitations and uncertainties in data should be explicitly assessed and communicated when informing regulations and management decisions.

Institutional frameworks should promote integrity: systems that reward reproducibility, appropriate interpretation of data and avoidance of “spin” help ensure evidence used for policy is fit‑for‑purpose.

Trust depends on both evidence and communication: clear, consistent messaging across stakeholders—risk assessors, managers, industry, media, educators and consumer groups—is essential to maintain credibility.

Accurate scientific communication is a shared responsibility: from study design to publication and policy uptake, each actor has a role in preventing misinterpretation and over‑extrapolation.

Novel tools, including AI, require careful evaluation: benefits for detection, surveillance and forecasting must be weighed against risks such as biased data, explainability gaps and premature deployment.