Using Social Media to Improve Food Safety

Using Social Media to Improve Food Safety Catalin Aricescu Abstract The Food and Drug Administration is an organization mandated to oversee the food and drug safety within the United States. On the other hand, information technology is growing fast and the agency needs to implement better means of communication especially with its participants from consumers to food sources. This study is a pilot research utilizing online survey to comprehend the feasibility of social media use for the improvement of the American food safety system. The results of the study show that more research is necessary as the social media users are mainly young and educated adults and they play an imperative role in the quick dissemination of preventive information, as well as food recall notices, in a manner that is likely to be heard or read widely. Therefore, it would be essential for the American Food and Drug Administration to incorporate social media into its main strategy. Introduction This pilot study was conducted to find out whether the food regulatory agencies such as the Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration should consider using social media as a means of improving the food safety system. According to Lang, Barling, Caraher, (2011) the utilization of social networking in organizations is emerging. On the other hand, Seo, Almanza, Miao, Behnke, (2015) affirm that the strategic use of social media in public firms is yet to be studied in great depth. According to Lang, Barling, Caraher, (2011), the exchange of food information and knowledge on food hazard is a form of vulnerability communication in food and safety procedures. Having considered the major characteristics of a food safety system, this pilot study aimed at proofing those effective and efficient food safety procedures are through the adoption of social media use by various regulatory bodies. The agenda may be attained by bringing together organizations and individuals representing various backgrounds. Background Public Policy and Food Safety According to the Consumers Union (2013), the Food and Drug Administration is an institution that is supposed to be a consumers watchdog. However, the agency has fallen short of its mandate. In the U.S., companies that supply processed foods often do not have the capacity to guarantee ingredient safety. Labs (2013) sustains that most of the American corporations do not even know the people or companies that supply their ingredients. Additionally, they do not know whether those suppliers ingredients are screened for microbes or other potentially harmful microorganisms. Recently, the main public policy strategic focus on food safety has been control. One of the strategies used to achieve control is through food recalls. Mayer and Harris (2012) say that food recalls often occur due to quality, physical or biological contamination. The Department of Agriculture, the FDA manufacturer, or the distributor can initiate a recall (Labs, 2013). For food recalls to occur fast, there should be a proper and effective means of message dissemination. Rapid information dissemination makes it easier to trace the data to know whether those affected have obtained the information on the withdrawal. On the other hand, Seo, Almanza, Miao, Behnke, 2015 state the Food Safety Modernization Act is trying to change food safety management from reaction to prevention. Lang, Barling, and Caraher (2011) also state that more groups are involved in the nations food safety program. For instance, the United States Food Safety Working Group implemented innovative strategies for the American food safety system. The FSWG is a group that is focused on the modernization of the food safety system especially through partnerships with regulatory agencies, the food industry, and consumers. The FSWG suggested a better route to freedom from fear of food safety to safe food through improved food systems. Consequently, the FSWG is based on three principles that are strengthening surveillance, prioritizing prevention and improvement of response and recovery. Using social media for food safety According to Mayer (2013), proper food recalling forms of communications are still in the infancy stage. Collier (2011) maintains that both subjective norms and attitudes have an impact on consumers and their intent to act in accordance with a food recall. Attitudes have a greater impact on the peoples ability to comply. Subjective norms and attitudes can be found on social networks. Consequently, social networks are imperative, according to Deasy (2012), and the role of social media is imperative in public policy. Mayer (2013) also suggests that regulatory bodies should emphasize the need to use social media. The use of social media is essential as it involves bringing together heterogeneous groups that form a social network. A social network is easier to coordinate when trying to identify food hazards as well as spread any form of food recall information (Karp, Baur, Atwill, De Master, Gennet, Iles, Kremen, 2015). Apart from using its website, the FDA could incorporate social networking strategies to enable it reach more consumers especially when required to recall certain products from a market. Taylor, and Sklamberg (2016) state that the FDA website offers information or announcements on all forms of recalls. Additionally, consumers can obtain e-mails after requesting to receive alerts on the website. Consumers that have food problems can report on the website, as the FDA has employed complaint coordinators within FDA district offices, to receive all forms of food complaints (Taylor Sklamberg, 2016). Furthermore, the conventional news outlets in the nation can broadcast recall information. On the other hand, with the increased use of social media, it would be important for the news media and regulatory bodies to use social networks as a means of reaching a wider audience in a short time (Deasy, 2012). The social networks allow people to obtain information in real time while people may hear of a recall from a television or radio long after it was issued. For instance, Plum Organics is an organization that has voluntarily used social media to spread information on food. Labs (2013) states that people hearing negative news, such as a recall, that has a direct influence on them, will try to obtain information from informal networks. Additionally, Taylor Sklamberg (2016) say that people are more likely to participate in spreading the information when they believe that the negative event affects them directly and understand that the consequences are serious enough to call for an action. Freberg, Graham, McGaughey, Freberg, (2011) affirm that the consumers are important agents in spreading the information about a food recall that would effectively work online. Social media influencers are an essential part of the social networking and could help in the dissemination of information on food safety. According to Freberg, Graham, McGaughey, and Freberg (2011), consumers who use the social media such as tweets, blogs, or other platforms to spread a negative event are known as social media influencers. Social media influencers play an essential role in the creation of noise in the system and on most occasions, their credibility is questioned due to misinformation or distortion of information. On the other hand, Lang, Barling, Caraher (2011) state that social media could still be used for the improvement of the food safety system. Social media use can be imperative in the food system. As Karp, Baur, Atwill, De Master, et al. (2015) sustain, the system could adopt a strategy that could help in the exploitation of the social networks, especially the social media. The social media may not only expand the systems versatile ability, but also improve its information dissemination to the public as well as take preventive role through tapping into diverse and unutilized resources on food hazard issues. Lang, Barling, and Caraher (2011) add that information and communication technological improvements helped develop ways through which the public agencies can learn on potential food hazards fast. The public agency still needs to coordinate communication to maintain the systems integrity. However, the planned utilization of innovative technologies allows coordination with regulatory interventions efficiently (Lang, Barling, Caraher, 2011). In spreading negative news, the social networks have been used extensively. Deasy (2012) maintains that new communication technologies can be utilized as an essential part of the food system, allowing all participants to exchange information on food safety. However, Mayer (2013) states that little effort has been used to involve consumers as participants in food safety. Research on social network use within corporations is still emerging. However, little information is available on its strategic use within public firms (Collier, 2012). The main disadvantage in the use of social media in public firms is information distortions. According to Taylor, and Sklamberg (2016), information disseminated online can be easily manipulated to a certain degree, which (Collier, 2012) states could bring about naÃÆ' ¯ve learning. Online information is often asymmetrical. Consequently, individuals, and organizations could try to insert false information into the social networks. Lang, Barling, Caraher (2011) state that some companies may choose to alter the information with an aim of raising their competitions costs. Additionally, social media influencers may obtain an incentive to manipulate specific information to increase their popularity online. Taylor, and Sklamberg, (2016) say that efforts have been made to uncover such attempts but still no protection is available from such manipulation. Consequently, efforts to use the social network to pass information on food safety should be considered. Materials and Methods In the study, it was imperative to understand the current situation on public agency use of social media on food recalls. To comprehend the current situation within the United States it was important to carry out a survey, which was done between March 1 and March 9 2017. The survey aimed at focusing on the respondents attention. The main purpose of the study was to examine the responses on food recall. According to Deasy (2012), a food recall is the request to return an entire food production of a particular food product to the seller and it is usually done once safety issues are discovered. Social media use was common in this survey; consequently, the first question asked in the survey was: Which technological device do you use regularly (Computer, laptop, tablet or Smartphone)? The survey also includes two essential questions on product recall experiences. The questions were: Have you ever heard of a food recall? and How did you hear about the food recall? Seven demographic items followed the two questions. On the other hand, a participant that indicated she or he had never heard of a food recall, she or he automatically moved to next part of the survey. To obtain more information on personal experiences, the survey also included four scenarios that allowed the respondents to give more information. The first two circumstances dealt with the participants personal experiences particularly with food issues. The last two dealt with the recall announcements. Similar to the last section, anyone who has not experienced any scenario on food issues automatically moved to the next section. Table 1 Scenarios used in the survey First Scenario The experience of a main issue Have you ever eaten lunch at a restaurant and later ad a severe stomachache leading to diarrhea and forcing you to seek medical assistance? Second Scenario Experienced a minor problem Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and later had an upset stomach? Third Scenario Product you used recalled You bought a packaged lettuce and later heard its brand recalled on radio, television, newspaper or online Fourth Scenario Recall of a product you never used You heard a packaged lettuce recalled on radio, television, newspaper or online but you never use the brand The study was done on utilizing SurveyMonkey.Com, and it ended with three open-ended questions that included: Think of an occasion when you experienced a problem after eating at home or your favorite joint. Tell us the incident. How did you feel, what was your reaction, did anyone know of the problem? Did you seek medical attention? Did you change your eating or food buying pattern? Think of an occasion when you heard of a food recall. Tell us about the incident, how did you feel, what was your reaction, did anyone know of the incidence, did you change your eating or food purchasing patterns? Do you have any additional comments? Participants use of social media The participants showed their comprehension of food recall as well as having shared information on bad food experiences with coworkers, friends, and family through diverse social media platforms. The sharing of the information occurred under certain circumstances, for example, gravity of the issue or the person contacted. According to Lang, Barling, and Caraher (2011), social media use is common in age groups between 18-29 years and 30-49 years. In the results of the survey, the studied group was within the said age groups. In the study, we found that access to smart phones decreases with age while the use of computers, mainly desktop, increased with age. Additionally, the use of social media among the participants decreased with age, but varied in relation to the specific social media such as YouTube and Facebook, which are platforms common in all ages. In the study, 94.8% of the participants had heard of a food recall. Surprisingly, most of the participants had heard of the food recall through broadcast or print media. On the other hand, the younger participants especially those below 25 years had heard of the food recall on both broadcast media and social networks, while those above 25 years had heard of the food recall through broadcast and print media. The Concerns and Experiences of the Participants with Food Problems Most of the participants showed their concern for food safety especially on the participation of the government as well as organizations in monitoring the process successfully. The participants mentioned the need for Food and Drug Administration agencys participation in monitoring the food that people consume. The consumers also noted that there is an increased use of informal communication in food safety. On the other hand, they also expressed their concerns for the increased caution when using social networks as the main form of communication. Furthermore, they appreciated the need to obtain information on bad food. However, it should be mentioned that the person giving the information may have been self-diagnosing inaccurately. The participants mentioned the need to notify the authorities or the necessary bodies whenever there were food recalls after notifying friends and family. The participants had experienced the second Scenario more than the first scenario. Additionally, it was evident that the participants would tell others about the first scenario experience more than they would have in the second scenario. Moreover, more participants would have told others in the third scenario than they would have in the fourth scenario. Similar to previous studies, it was evident that more people were likely to tell others of a food recall if they used that product or had a severe experience from eating the food. The study also aimed at looking at any pattern on the responses. Therefore, Symphony software was used. On the other hand, a pattern did not exist as the participants mentioned different kinds of foods. Some of the foods mentioned included cereal, peanuts, beef, pizza, pork corn, fruit, chicken, lettuce, meat and chili, among others. The discovery of the patterns brought about the question: Who is more likely to inform others on a recall or experience on bad food using the social media? To obtain an answer to the question all participants that used any form of social platform for more than one of the scenarios were grouped together. The activity led to the conclusion that well-educated and young adults especially females were more likely to spread information of a food recall. Table 2 Gender Age Education Female 18-29 98 College graduate 85 Male 18-29 79 Advanced degree 87 Outcomes and Discussions The survey used a manageable sample of two hundred and fourteen respondents. Out of the 214, 212 responses were obtained from three universities. In the study, there were more female respondents than males. The respondents were aged between 18 and 29 years. All the participants were from diverse racial backgrounds, well educated, and were studying different courses at their universities. About 7.1% of the participants had attained their undergraduate education and were pursuing a higher level of education. More studies will be needed to obtain more conclusive information on the use of social networks for food safety. The results of this pilot study suggested that the utilization of social media as a modality of spreading the word on bad food would enable people to cope with the situation better, both cognitively and emotionally. The process would also help in the improvement of the food safety system. The differences that social media can create in improving food safety may be due to the fast dissemination of information using social media. Information sent by a relative, friend, or a close contact is more likely to be read, rather than general public information, spread through a newspaper. The outcomes of the study also suggested that social network users are generally well-educated and young adults. On the other hand, those with the ability to spread the word are not necessarily those with the most friends online. When aspects such as education, race, and gender are constant, the younger generation is more likely to use social networking platforms more than the older persons are. Additionally, females are more likely to use social media than males. Presently, people often use social networking platforms to socialize or spread information on events that they are not involved in or impacted by, directly. Upon hearing a recall of a familiar food product, females, unlike males, are more likely to pass information on the recall. Furthermore, an individual was more likely to spread the word on a recall after experiencing a severe food problem. On the other hand, those passing information were least likely to use social media as the platform to spread the word on a food recall. Therefore, agencies that need to improve their way of spreading information on food recall, need to adopt better plans, as well as formulate policies that ensure that the well-educated and young females are involved. Limitations of the Study This was a pilot study that was limited by time and as well as by using a specific demographic. The university students were the most appropriate. However, the study lacked diversity in the convenient sample size. University students may have a particular mindset on information technology. Consequently, it was difficult to obtain a more diverse view on the study. Moreover, despite obtaining results that were similar to previous studies, the sample size was not a representative one. The small sample size offered limited information on the topic. The study did not cover some aspects that may have influenced the participants use of social media, such as employment or income. Therefore, a large and diverse population would be more appropriate for future studies on the topic. Conclusion An outcome of this pilot research showed that due to the dynamics of social media, it is essential for food safety companies to use intelligence, sufficient resources, as well as good ideas to attain success in recalling bad food. The food agencies require having a strategy that offers a specific alertness in the use of social media information. For instance, the agencies may create their social media groups to manage the network and avoid misinformation. It would be important to form good relationships that are built on trust with the social media users. Furthermore, using hash tags when recalling food would help improve the spreading of the word. 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