A Review of Food Recalls in Canada: a Nationwide Survey

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE Sylvain Charlebois,1 Caitlin Cunningham,1 2 1 Food Protection Trends, Vol 39, No. 4, p. 317–325 Isabelle Caron, Janet Music Copyright© 2019, International Association for Food Protection and Simon Somogyi3 6200 Aurora Ave., Suite 200W, Des Moines, IA 50322-2864 1*Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, 6100 University Ave., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2 Canada 2School of Public Administration, Dalhousie University, 6100 University Ave., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2 Canada 3Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, 6100 University Ave., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2 Canada A Review of Food Recalls in Canada: A Nationwide Survey ABSTRACT optimistic bias and inaccurate risk assessment regarding This study examined the Canadian food recall system food recalls puts Canadians at risk of recall fatigue. from the consumer perspective through an online survey to determine whether recall fatigue is a problem among INTRODUCTION consumers. Recall fatigue occurs when consumers Recall fatigue occurs because of excessive recall infor- are inundated with such an excess of information on mation demanding consumer awareness, which results in food recalls that it causes apathy toward food safety. apathy toward further safety measures (3, 13). Consumers Optimistic bias, the belief that others are at risk, but not may begin to ignore information about recalls as the result one’s self, also contributes to recall fatigue, which can of repetition (2). In any recall event, the issue applies only lead to public health risks. Results indicate that although to a subset of the population – those who have purchased consumers generally have some knowledge of food the contaminated product (8). Therefore, recalls do not recalls, they do not retain or subsequently internalize affect all consumers equally, creating an ambiguous sense of information about all food recalls. Results also indicate security among consumers. Nevertheless, there is evidence that Canadians have confidence in the current recall that consumers affected by recalls fail to act upon recall system. However, Canadians across all demographics information if consequences in the form of foodborne illness place the responsibility for food safety on others, namely are not perceived as greater than the warranted action (11). the federal government. Despite the fact that foodborne In addition, consumers can lack important distinguishing illnesses can originate in the home, the majority of skills to determine if recalls apply to their purchases. In many Canadians believe they are more likely to occur as a cases, consumers become overwhelmed by excessive infor- result of actions taken before food reaches their home. mation, are confused or misunderstand information that is The combination of apparent information overload, highly technical, or believe that the information they receive *Author for correspondence: Phone: +1 902.222.4142; Fax: +1 902.222.4142; Email: [email protected] July/August Food Protection Trends 317 does not apply to their purchases. Finally, consumers hold 2012 was caused by the E. coli crisis at XL foods, where over a level of confidence in the current food supply chain that is 1.8 million kilograms of beef were recalled in 90 individual not built upon evidence, but rather on trust of a system that recalls over a 26-day period in September and October of may not have caused the consumer to be affected by recalls that year (7). The general trend in the number of food recalls in the past. This exploratory study used a survey that sought issued by the CFIA is that they are increasing (Fig. 1). to better understand the Canadian food recall system from An increase in food recalls could result in information the consumer perspective. Questions were asked about four overload for consumers. Information overload occurs when broad themes: (1) General knowledge and awareness of food the time required for adequate information processing recalls in Canada, (2) Consumer reaction to food recalls, exceeds the amount of time during which an individual (3) Responsibility for food safety and (4) Demographic and must process, or is able or willing to process, a given set of Socio-economic information. information (21). Therefore, consumers conceivably receive Epidemiological surveillance systems enable public health excessive information regarding food recalls, which increases officials to implement strategies to address foodborne illness the likelihood that consumer attention is low, thereby in- in the current supply chain. Once an outbreak has been creasing the risk that they will miss critical information about detected, genetic testing for strains of a pathogen allows purchases. To confound consumers further, media attention for better tracking of the outbreak, ideally leading to the to recalls increases if recall events are national in scope or source (13). The results can lead to food recalls that allow result in severe consumer illness or death (18). For exam- for the mitigation of foodborne disease or illness. This ple, in 2012 during the XL Foods beef recall, 974 articles research suggests that an increase in the frequency of recalls were published in Canadian news sources in September and results in apathy, in which the consumer takes no action in October of that year (based on searches within the Eureka compliance with the recall, i.e., shows a condition of fatigue. database). However, increased media attention does not Therefore, the authors submit that recall fatigue results from necessarily result in informed consumer behavior. Indeed, the the cumulation of three key factors: information overload, media are often criticized for inaccurate, sensational or erro- optimistic bias, and risk assessment. neous science reporting (18). For information to be properly As strategies to detect foodborne illness become increas- translated into actionable knowledge, it must address a specif- ingly sophisticated, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency ic need and be able to be processed by the target audience (CFIA) has correspondingly issued more food recalls. Figure (22). Importantly, it must be recognized that consumers who 1 shows the increase in recalls issued by the CFIA between receive excessive information cannot cognitively process that 1998 and 2017. It should be noted that the spike in recalls in information (22). FIGURE 1. Recalls issued by the CFIA 1998 – 2017 (CFIA, 2017). 318 Food Protection Trends July/August Optimistic bias is the tendency for people to believe research indicates that consumers typically do not retain that they are less likely to experience negative events messaging until the risk of foodborne illness reaches crisis than others and more likely to experience positive ones levels (15). This implies that combating recall fatigue involves (14, 23). Optimistic bias has been found in relation to risk communication strategies associated with foodborne matters such as the risks associated with smoking(1, 24), illness in non-crisis periods. traffic accidents(9) and cancer (12). In relation to food Over one hundred food recalls are issued every year in recalls, consumers are more likely to believe that they are Canada (5). Of these, only a subset receives substantial not at risk of serious foodborne illness, although others media attention. Consumers notified of food recalls must are (25). In addition, foodborne illness may be mild decide on appropriate safety precautions, such as locating the enough to be misdiagnosed and attributed to a different affected product, changing preparation and food-handling underlying cause (10). Further, consumers who have standards within the home or seeking medical attention for not been affected by recalls may not fully appreciate the misdiagnosed foodborne illness. Media messaging influences seriousness of foodborne illness (25). These contributing these decisions, as well as consumer attitudes towards food factors enable consumers to consider such messages as safety, confidence in the current food supply chain and, being aimed at others (17). Understanding optimistic bias possibly, associated optimistic bias (Fig. 2). in relation to foodborne illness is important in order to frame communication efforts around recalls and reduce the MATERIALS AND METHODS likelihood that consumers will ignore recall information. The focus of this study was a quantitative analysis of Consumer behavior is dictated by risk assessment of the primary data obtained from an internet-based survey of disadvantages of a particular action against its perceived Canadian adults. Ethical approval to conduct the survey benefits. In the case of food recalls, this assessment is largely was granted by Dalhousie University’s Research Ethics based on consumer perceptions of the food safety system Board in accordance with the policy on the ethical conduct and the overall food industry (6). In general, consumers who of research involving humans. To be included, participants have high confidence in the current system are less likely to had to be age 18 or over and to have lived in Canada for pay attention to food recall information and less likely to at least two years. The purpose of this exploratory study take action in the event of a food recall, as they are less likely was to determine the presence of recall fatigue. Therefore, to believe that any negative consequences will occur as a consumers were not probed to respond to questions about result (13). This suggests that the method and frequency of recall information in general and/or

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