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BfR - Department 2: Risk Communication (BfR - RIKO)
Institution
Section overview
Description
Consumer health protection involves research into, assessment and communication of risks. In this context it is not just the risks themselves that are important but also their communication in the media and how they are perceived. Scientific findings must be transparent and put across in a comprehensible manner in order to promote the rational handling of risks.
BfR has the statutory remit for risk communication and informs the public at large of possible health risks in the fields of food, chemical and product safety. To this end BfR enters into an active dialogue with various stakeholders from science, trade and industry, political circles, the media, associations, non-governmental organisations and consumers. Besides target-group orientated press and public relations, this communication process entails the active involvement of various interest groups in expert meetings, status seminars, consumer protection fora, stakeholder conferences and public symposia.
The interdisciplinary Risk Communication Department conducts research projects on risk perception, early risk detection and risk impact assessment for instance in the fields of new technologies like nanotechnology, changes in nutritional behaviour of consumers following risk communication or the ranking of risks by various social interest groups. The tools used here are representative surveys, consumer conferences, Delphi surveys and focus groups.
Another main area of the Department is the co-ordination and targeted, ongoing development of national and international networks of the political and scientific institutions responsible for consumer health protection.
The Department supports the following BfR Committees: Risk research and risk perception.
Activities
- Research
Parent institution
Coordinated projects
- Analysis of the possible implications derived from hygiene situation in cooking shows on food hygiene in private houshold
- Analysis of the TV coverage about the BfR and glyphosate
- Antibiotics and resulting resistance: knowledge, attitudes and practical use by people and relevant stakeholder - analysis of the circumstances, quality pilot study and representative survey
- Antibiotics and resulting resistances in view of print media: Analysis of media coverage
- BfR Consumer Conference Genome Editing (CRISPR/Cas9)
- BfR Consumer Monitor
- BfR Consumer Monitor 2016 Subject - Plant Protection Products
- BfR Consumer Monitor 2017 Special - Aluminium in the food sector
- BfR stakeholder and population survey: Fifth evaluation of the BfR's popularity
- BfR stakeholder and public survey: Fourth evaluation on consumer protection in Germany
- BfR- Consumer Monitor 2015 Subject - antibiotics resistance
- DEMETER - Determination of metrics of emerging risk
- Determination of metrics of emerging risk
- Development of crisis communication strategies. 1b
- Evaluation of the web-based contaminant calculator of the BfR
- Focal points´debates on identification of individual and social impact factors promoting and sustaining vegan diet
- Forming a global network for identifying food-related emerging risks (EmRisk)
- Future Internet Accelerator for Food, Perishables and Logistics: Evaluation of the Issue Monitoring Tool
- Germany's national focal point on technical and scientific matters (EFSA focal point)
- Health risks in old age: Target group-specific risk communication for older people
- Implementing focal points and perfomancing an online-survey addressing the topic 'Breastfeeding publicly'
- Improvement of methods of evaluation of communication programs
- Insects as food and feed - future source of food? - Representative survey
- Internet-based delphi survey discussing the subject food fraud
- Investigation of potential (risk) communication problems in the use of 'risk' and 'hazard' and derivation of recommendations for action
- Media content analysis „Vegan diet“
- NanoMedia - Analysis of media reporting addressing the subject nanotechnology 2008-2012
- Nanoview – Influencing factors on the perception of nanotechnology and target group-specific risk communication strategies
- Novel foods as red meat replacers - an insight using Risk Benefit Assessment methods
- Online survey about public's perception and prioritization on consumer health production
- Overweight and obesity in children, adolescents and young adults as a systemic risk
- Perception of risks for poisoning
- Preparing, implementing and analysing focal points´ debates on the perception of genome editing (Crispr/Cas)
- Production of an animated film on the dissemination of zoonoses through food imported into the EU
- Representative survey on kitchen hygiene in private households
- Reputation management of the BfR – Description of the status quo, and suggestions for improvements
- RISKSHIFT - risk avoidance: Status Assessment and consumer survey to identify determinants of harmful avoiding action by risk assessments and media reports on food and product safety
- SafeConsumE - Safer food through changed consumer behavior: Effective tools and products, communication strategies, education and a food safety policy reducing health burden from foodborne illnesses
- SeeingNano: Developing and Enabling Nanotechnology Awareness-Building through the Creation and Exchange of enhanced Communication and Visualisation Tools and Guidance for ‘Seeing at the Nanoscale’
- Social Media Monitoring „Vegan Diet“
- Stakeholder management in the context of science based consumer protection
- Survey „Vegan Diet“
- Target group oriented risk communication addressing the role of dietary supplement
- Third evaluation of the fame of the Bundesinstituts für Risikobewertung
- Usability of the BfR-Homepage
- Visualisation of crucial parameters in risk assessment
Involved in research projects
- Absorption and safety of nanoscale phytosterol formulations
- Development of a system to improve information exchange within the organizational infrastructure in the interest of a faster detection, monitoring and control of EHEC and other human pathogenic bacteria in the value chain vegetables in the Euregio Rhine Waal
- Survey concerning the importance of geographic food origin for consumers
Contact
BfR - Department 2: Risk Communication
(BfR - RIKO)
Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10
10589 Berlin
Berlin
Germany
Phone: +49-(0)30-18412-3229
Fax: +49-(0)30-18412-1243
Email: 2(@)bfr.bund.de
