In the age of the Internet and social media, there is a desire to respond quickly to accusations in an effort to limit the damage that may be done to the image of a business.

How can a program or initiative succeed if the intended audience doesn’t understand the program is targeted at them?

As consumers become more comfortable purchasing a broader range of goods and services on-line it stands to reason retailers will increasingly rely on food to retain or expand foot traffic.

The marketplace appears to be entering a new phase in which a product or ingredient must not only be authentic — it must fit within the consumer’s perception of what is authentic.

The influence of social media is expected to grow further as mobile technologies such as smart phones and tablet devices surpass personal computers as the leading method of accessing the Internet.

Much is being written about how to feed a rapidly expanding global population, but of equal importance, particularly in the U.S., is who will produce the raw materials.

The perceived consumer interest in locally sourced products flies in the face of more dominant trends like increased consumer demand for more convenient products and for more ethnic flavors and cuisines.

Food safety is not a natural, pure or simple process, and products will be less safe if effective approaches are shunned for reasons that have more to do with perception than science.

Many governmental and public health efforts to date have focused on singular causes and ignored the broad range of issues that contribute to the problem.