The Professor Emeritus of Food Science and Director of the National Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Program at Cornell University, Dr. Robert B. Gravani brought risk and crisis communication in food safety to Cornell University’s Master of Public Health Cohort.

Risk communication is aim to enable people at risk to take timely, accurate and informed decisions to protect themselves and their loved ones. With that, when a food safety issue happens, the industry should plan ahead, communicate responsibly, minimizing the harm, acknowledge and account for cultural differences, and continuously evaluate and update the crisis plans to console public panic. Through a food safety crisis, honesty, openness, compassion as well as responsibility are good qualities that most useful for a food company.

An interactive case study and discussion led by Dr. Gravani allow program cohorts actively involved in the food risk communication during the presentation.

This exposé was written by Qijin Wang, a student in Cornell’s MPH Program with a concentration in Food Systems for Health. She recently graduated with BS degrees in Food Science and Nutrition Science from Purdue University. She interests in working in the global community targeting on food safety as well as food insecurity issues after the MPH program.