AUTHOR=Leslie John F. , Morris Jeffery B. TITLE=Perspective: Talking About Mycotoxins JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems VOLUME=3 YEAR=2019 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2019.00109 DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2019.00109 ISSN=2571-581X ABSTRACT=

Talking about mycotoxins amongst scientists often is easy, as the potential consequences are viewed from a perspective that breeds familiarity with potentially serious health problems. Translating objective results into information that can be used profitably by non-scientists is a task for which scientists often are poorly equipped. Experts in communications also have a difficult time with the mycotoxin issue because they lack the technical background to understand the causes, consequences and potential remedies associated with mycotoxin contamination. Our objective is to provide a framework for both scientists and communicators as they think about how to convey potentially scary food safety information to the public without causing a panic in the process. The major concerns people have about mycotoxin contamination are health- and financial-related, which makes addressing these concerns critical. Stakeholders along the food chain have different backgrounds and interests and should be identified and grouped for effective communications, as “one size fits all” is not a good strategy. Similarly, distinguishing time-sensitive, e.g., crisis, communications from those that are time agnostic, e.g., background, education, and public awareness information, are crucial for either to have the desired impact. We provide some general guidelines and thinking/talking points to enable scientists to work with their counterparts in communications as they develop plans to increase food safety through effective communications regarding potential health and financial threats that can result from mycotoxin contamination.