Understanding European Consumers' Perception of Food Safety Risks: A Multicountry Analysis of Raw Milk and Raw Milk-Based Cheeses.

Food risk perception involves an individual's assessment of the presence of safety attributes in food. Food risk perception is essential for ensuring food safety, as it significantly shapes consumer attitudes. These attitudes, in turn, influence industrial processes and steer both public and private regulatory frameworks. Therefore, it is crucial for food-chain producers and regulatory authorities to thoroughly examine the key drivers of this concept. For this reason, a multicountry survey was conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of European citizens' perceptions of food safety risks and health issues related to the consumption of raw milk and raw milk-based cheeses, with a particular focus on short agri-food chains. In this study, a thousand citizens from five European countries (Italy, France, Poland, Germany, and Sweden) participated in an online quantitative social research survey. The survey utilized a structured questionnaire administered via the computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) method. The results highlighted that the consumption of raw milk products is widespread within the EU and the perception about risk is low across the investigated countries. The obtained information provides valuable insights, as a low risk perception is linked to a high consumption pattern; thus, to reduce the health impact of raw milk products, risk managers should plan and conduct communication campaigns aimed at raising consumer awareness about food safety risks.