Exploring unequal class logics of mealtime food socialisation. An ethnography of family meals in France and Australia.

Regular family mealtimes are occasions to model food consumption and have been associated with health and well-being benefits for children. This study aimed to investigate children's mealtime food socialisation in socially diverse households. Nine families from France and five from Australia were recruited, ranging from lower middle-class to upper-class positions, with children mostly between the ages of five to eight. The data is composed of the observations of 47 mealtimes and semi-directive interviews with both parents. The results showed that food socialisation and parents' understanding of children's taste development were linked to the household's social class position as well as to the temporal, cognitive and emotional resources parents possessed at mealtimes, in a similar manner across France and Australia. The more capital and resources the parents had, the more they were able to perform an intensive food socialisation style, which led them to prepare balanced menus and get children to eat the food served. The less capital and resources the parents had, the more they engaged in a hands-off food socialisation style, leading them to serve more child-oriented and less diverse menus. Importantly, all parents strived to serve healthy food, but limited resources prevented some of them from doing so. These food socialisation styles were also connected to the development of different social skills in children: with the intensive model, children were closely managed by their parents at the table but also learnt negotiation skills, whereas with the hands-off style, children learnt to be quite autonomous in their eating. The findings presented here contribute to Hays' intensive mothering concept and to Lareau's class-based parenting models. They also challenge Bourdieu's differentiation between a taste of necessity and a taste of luxury.

The full blood count in screening asymptomatic infants for early-onset sepsis: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: The full blood count (FBC) is commonly measured as part of a partial septic work-up in asymptomatic infants at increased risk of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS). To determine the impact of FBC parameters on infants' subsequent management a retrospective cross-sectional study was performed. METHODS: Infants, born at ≥34 weeks gestation, asymptomatic at birth, undergoing a partial septic work-up and receiving prophylactic antibiotics due to increased risk of EOS in a single centre over a 2-year period, were included. The primary outcome measure was frequency of FBC result impacting on duration of antibiotic therapy. Secondary outcome measures included frequency of FBC parameters outside of the reference range and incidental diagnoses. RESULTS: In total, 16 726 live-born infants were delivered during the study period. A total of 802 (4.8%) were included. Thirteen infants (1.6%) received a prolonged course of antibiotics due to suspicion for EOS. Two of these infants had elevated white cell counts. All had normal neutrophil counts. In no case did the FBC result influence the decision to prolong the antibiotic course. CONCLUSION: In a cohort of 802 infants, asymptomatic at birth and at increased risk of EOS, the FBC result did not impact on the decision to prolong the course of antibiotics for suspicion of EOS.

Barriers and enablers to the family meal across time; a grounded theory study comparing South Australian parents' perspectives.

Family meals are positively associated with numerous beneficial health and social outcomes. Current discourse however claims that parents are faced with numerous barriers when trying to bring the family together to share a meal. Solutions for overcoming barriers to a positive shared family meal are often individualistic and do not address the systemic pressures and burdens families have faced for decades. The aim of this study was to explore the systemic and novel barriers and enablers to shared family meals as experienced by families across time. To achieve this, a qualitative study informed by grounded theory was conducted. Parents of South Australian families were recruited and interviewed in the 1990s, and a new sample of parents were recruited and interviewed in 2020. Transcripts were analysed using grounded theory and comparative analysis methods. Thirty-two parents from 16 families were interviewed in the 1990s, and 22 parents from 10 families in 2020. Ten factors were identified presenting as either enablers or barriers to the family meal, depending on the context they were experienced. Barriers and enablers were largely consistent across time. Scheduling and flexibility, children's disruptions and children's independence, privileges required to have family meals and motivation and commitment to the family meal were identified as persistent enablers and barriers across time. These findings indicate that parents are faced with similar challenges they have been facing for decades and are still not being adequately supported to execute family meals regularly. Recognising that factors present as either barriers or enablers to the family meal provides us with opportunities to transform barriers to enablers and support families to have regular, meaningful family meals.

The family meal, a ritual frozen in time; an Australian grounded theory study.

Family meals are recognized as an opportunity to promote the health of families. Popular discourse posits that changes to contemporary family life have made family meals harder to achieve and promotion of the 'traditional' family meal may be adding pressures to contemporary families. While research has been conducted on family meals over the last three decades, there is no explicit investigation of the experiences and practices of family meals over this time. Understanding the evolution of family meal practices across time is important for developing achievable expectations in relation to this ritual. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a diverse population of South Australian parents in the 1990s (n = 32) and with a separate population of parents in 2020 (n = 22) to gather their experiences of family meal practices. A comparative analysis, informed by grounded theory, was undertaken to identify similarities and differences in experiences across these two time periods. The results indicated stability in many family meal experiences across time, particularly in their value and significance in family life. Negotiations balancing time, cost, food preferences and responsibility persisted. The stability of family meal values and practices is important to consider when making recommendations, designing interventions and creating services targeting the family meal.

Sharing the load: A qualitative exploration of what mothers and fathers believe the father's role should be in food provisioning.

The father's role in household responsibilities has shifted over the past fifty years. In particular, fathers are now expected to be more involved in the family food provisioning but are often still positioned in a role that is supplementary to the mother's role. Previous literature has explored contemporary perceptions of the father's role in this domain, however research on the expectations both parents have for the father's role is limited. This qualitative study therefore seeks to understand what mothers and fathers believe the father's role in family food provisioning should be or what they would like it to be. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the beliefs, expectations and lived experiences of heterosexual couples (N = 8) with at least one child aged between 5 and 12 years old. A thematic analysis informed by principles of constructivist grounded theory revealed that while the fathers placed importance on equally sharing the food provisioning role, a discrepancy is acknowledged between their attitudes and behaviours. The majority of the mothers desired a more equal share of the food provisioning role. However, such aspirations did not necessarily translate into real-world expectations of the father as they were deemed unlikely to be met. Parents recognised that the birth of children worked to increase the mother's load, and further reinforced the parent's roles moving forward. Constraints to change were heavily impacted by the socialisation of both gender and culture. The current study expands the existing literature by highlighting the need to focus on structural mechanisms that inform cultural and social change, in order to enable a more equal division of food provisioning.

The Family Meal Framework: A grounded theory study conceptualising the work that underpins the family meal.

The family meal has been recognised as an integral part of family life. With the positive health outcomes associated with the family meal, it has been proposed as a strategy for encouraging health-promoting behaviours. However, a detailed understanding of the physical and mental work required to execute the family meal is lacking. The aim of this research was to conduct a grounded theory study to understand the components required to successfully execute the family meal. Two temporal data sets (1993-4/2020) in which diverse participants were sampled were used for this study. Methods used to conduct qualitative interviews with parents in the 1990s were mirrored in the conduct of qualitative interviews with parents in 2020. The interview data was analysed drawing on grounded theory methodology and methods. The entire sample included 54 parents from 28 families. A conceptual framework, 'The Family Meal Framework', was developed from the analyses. The five main components of The Framework are the cognitions (invisible work considering the needs of the family), actions (physical tasks required for the family meal), outcomes (the event of the family meal), the beliefs and feelings (expectations and attitudes toward the family meal), and the person(s) responsible (who undertakes the work). This framework provides a novel theory describing the reactive, cyclical nature of the work required to execute the family meal. This new understanding provides discrete opportunities for intervention in family meal research, practice, policy and promotion.

Warning labels and interpretive nutrition labels: Impact on substitution between sugar and artificially sweetened beverages, juice and water in a real-world selection task.

Effective strategies to reduce free sugar intake are needed. This study examined exposure to a warning label, independently and in conjunction with a Health Star Rating (HSR) label, on the selection of commercially available cold beverages with real decision-making stakes. Participants (N = 511, 47.9% female, mean = 21.7 (SD = 6.1) years) accessed an online convenience store app via an on-campus laptop to select one of 10 beverages (5 sugar-sweetened beverages [SSBs], 1100% fruit juice, 2 artificially sweetened beverages [ASBs] and 2 waters). The task was repeated with the addition of a warning label on high-sugar drinks in Round 2, and the addition of an HSR label on all drinks in Round 3. Participants were informed that they would receive a complementary drink (valued at <$5AUD) based on their selections following the completion of a brief questionnaire. Baseline results indicated that SSBs and waters were the most and least popular choices, respectively. For both males and females, there was a significant decrease in SSB selection (p < 0.001) and significant increase in ASB and water selection (p < 0.001) following the addition of warning labels to high-sugar drinks. The decreased selection of SSBs and increased selection of waters was maintained in Round 3 when HSR labels were added to all drinks. 100% fruit juice selection decreased with the addition of a warning label for females only (p < 0.01), but increased following the addition of a 4-star HSR label, for both males (p < 0.05) and females (p < 0.001). Warning labels reduced young adults' selection of SSBs and promoted substitution to water. The HSR reinforced this effect for the least healthy drinks. Increased water selection may be further enhanced by ensuring that warning label thresholds and HSR algorithms align to present consistent messaging.

Intentions to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption: the importance of perceived susceptibility to health risks.

OBJECTIVE: There are numerous health effects associated with excess sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. Interventions aimed at reducing population-level consumption require understanding of the relevant barriers and facilitators. This study aimed to identify the variables with the strongest relationship with intentions to reduce SSB consumption from a suite of variables derived from the literature. DESIGN: Random-digit dialling of landline and mobile phones was used to survey adults using computer-assisted telephone interviews. The outcome variable was 'likelihood of reducing SSB consumption in next 6 months', and the predictor variables were demographics, SSB attitudes and behaviour, health risk perceptions and social/environmental exposure. SETTING: Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A subsample of 1630 regular SSB consumers from a nationally representative sample of 3430 Australian adults (38 % female, 51 % aged 18-45 years, 56 % overweight or obese). RESULTS: Respondents indicated that they were 'not at all' (30·1 %), 'somewhat' (43·9 %) and 'very likely' (25·3 %) to reduce SSB consumption. Multivariate nominal logistic regressions showed that perceiving future health to be 'very much' at risk was the strongest predictor of intention to reduce SSB consumption (OR = 8·1, 95 % CI 1·8, 37·0, P < 0·01). Other significant predictors (P < 0·01) included self-perceptions about too much consumption, habitual consumption, difficulty reducing consumption and likelihood of benefitting from reduced consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Health risk perceptions had the strongest relationship with intentions to reduce consumption. Age and consumption perceptions were also predictors in the multivariate models, whereas social/environmental exposure variables were not. Interventions may seek to incorporate strategies to denormalise consumption practices and increase knowledge about perceived susceptibility to health risks.

The health implications of distrust in the food system: findings from the dimensions of trust in food systems scale (DOTIFS scale).

BACKGROUND: Consumer trust in food systems is essential for consumers, food industry, policy makers and regulators. Yet no comprehensive tool for measuring consumer trust in food systems exists. Similarly, the impact that trust in the food system has on health-related food behaviours is yet to be empirically examined. The aim of this research was to develop a comprehensive instrument to measure trust in the food system (the Dimensions of Trust in Food Systems Scale (DOTIFS scale) and use it to explore whether trust in the food system impacts consumers' health-related behaviours. METHODS: The DOTIFS scale was developed using sociological theories of trust and pre-existing instruments measuring aspects of trust. It was pilot tested and content validity was assessed with 85 participants. A mixed-methods exploration of the health-related behaviours of 18 conveniently sampled Australian consumers with differing trust scores determined by the DOTIFS scale was then conducted. During March-July 2019 shopping- and home-observations were used to assess participants' food safety practices and exposure to public health fortification programs, while the CSIRO Healthy Diet Score determined their adherence to national dietary guidelines. RESULTS: The DOTIFS scale was found to have high comprehension, ease of use and content validity. Statistical analysis showed scale scores significantly trended as predicted by participants' stated level of trust. Differences were found in the way individuals with more or less trust in the food system comply with national dietary guidelines, are exposed to public health fortification programs, and adhere to recommended food safety practices. CONCLUSIONS: The DOTIFS scale is a comprehensive, sociologically- and empirically- informed assessment of consumer trust in food systems that can be self-administered online to large populations and used to measure changes in consumer trust over time. The differences in health-related behaviours between individuals with varying levels of trust warrant further investigation.

Voluntary food fortification policy in Australia: did 'formal' stakeholder consultation influence the outcome?

This research aimed to understand how the policy was represented as a 'problem' in food regulatory decision-making in Australia, and the implications for public health nutrition engagement with policy development processes. Bacchi's 'what's the problem represented to be?' discourse analysis method was applied to a case study of voluntary food fortification policy (VFP) developed by the then Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (ANZFRMC) between 2002 and 2012. As a consultative process is a legislated aspect of food regulatory policy development in Australia, written stakeholder submissions contributed most of the key documents ascertained as relevant to the case. Four major categories of stakeholder were identified in the data; citizen, public health, government and industry. Predictably, citizen, government and public health stakeholders primarily represented voluntary food fortification (VF) as a problem of public health, while industry stakeholders represented it as a problem of commercial benefit. This reflected expected differences regarding decision-making control and power over regulatory activity. However, at both the outset and conclusion of the policy process, the ANZFRMC represented the problem of VF as commercial benefit, suggesting that in this case, a period of 'formal' stakeholder consultation did not alter the outcome. This research indicates that in VFP, the policy debate was fought and won at the initial framing of the problem in the earliest stages of the policy process. Consequently, if public health nutritionists leave their participation in the process until formal consultation stages, the opportunity to influence policy may already be lost.

Factors influencing food service provision decisions in centre-based early childhood education and care services: Cooks' perspective.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Considerable public effort has been directed at centre-based childcare as an early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting to promote healthy food-related behaviours in young children. However, in the real-world setting, best practice, evidence-based guidelines are not always well-translated into usual, day-to-day routines. This study aims to understand what factors influence the centre-based childcare cooks' food and nutrition decisions for children aged 2-5 years. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with cooks in centre-based childcare using purposeful maximum variation sampling and data analysed thematically. RESULTS: Fourteen cooks were interviewed from 14 services across South Australia. Central to providing a healthy food environment was expert-led knowledge and training gained through the workplace over several years and the embodiment of the service's healthy food and nutrition policy, evidenced through menu planning to maintain a focus on healthy eating. Threatening these positive, routine practices and decisions were pressures to modify menus in response to increasing food allergies and changing cultural and family preferences, in the absence of ongoing relevant training and expertise at the system-level. CONCLUSIONS: Children in ECEC benefit from cooks' commitment to providing nutritious foods; however, the requirements to extend their role to respond to increasing demands without relevant system-level support and training puts the children at risk of not being exposed to health-promoting menus and possible errors in providing dietary modifications. ECEC cooks urgently need access to system-level support and training. SO WHAT?: Understanding and addressing the barriers experienced by cooks and the complexity of factors that inform their food-related decision-making will sustain the implementation of effective, healthy eating guidelines and nutrition practices in ECEC.

A critical food system program in South Australia and the effects on consumer knowledge and attitudes.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: This study investigated the effects of food system literacy on knowledge and attitudes of food consumers. METHODS: A 2-week online course critically discussed the food system through three lenses of environmental sustainability, equity and health. Participants were randomly allocated into one Control and two Intervention groups (A & B). Data collection was by online questionnaire pre- and postintervention, addressing self-perceived food system knowledge, attitudes towards food purchasing behaviours, demographic characteristics and course evaluation. Differences in knowledge and attitude scores between Control and Intervention groups were assessed. Subjects were staff and students of Flinders University in South Australia. RESULTS: Forty-seven participants completed the course. The completion rate was 71.2%. Knowledge about the food system improved significantly for both Intervention groups when compared to the Control group (P ≤ 0.001). Although attitudes towards food purchasing behaviours also improved significantly for both Intervention groups (P < 0.001 and P = 0.005 for Interventions A and B respectively), the improvements were not significant when compared to the Control group (P = 0.065 and P = 0.43 for Interventions A and B respectively). The online methodology received positive feedback from participants. CONCLUSION: This 2-week online food system course showed that the pedagogy was appropriate and successful in improving self-perceived knowledge and attitudes towards food consumption. SO WHAT?: It provides encouraging indications of the potential of food system literacy to empower citizens to make healthier as well as, more environmentally and socially sustainable food choices.

What can families gain from the family meal? A mixed-papers systematic review.

The family meal has been associated with numerous health and wellbeing benefits for both adults and children. However, the majority of the research in this area is correlational, unable to prove a causal relationship between family meals and health and wellbeing outcomes. The objectives of this systematic review were to determine the causal relationship between family meals and health and wellbeing and explore family members' perceptions of the family meal. A systematic search across five databases was undertaken to identify both intervention studies and qualitative studies investigating the family meal. Thirty-two articles were deemed eligible for inclusion in this review. Qualitative data were synthesised via the meta-aggregation approach; however, the quantitative data were too heterogeneous to perform meta-analysis. Only one intervention included in this review exclusively targeted the family meal, the remaining studies had other target strategies as part of their intervention (e.g. physical activity, snacking, sleep routines). Only two of the eight interventions reported a statistically significant difference between control and intervention groups for family meal frequency or quality, therefore we were unable to fully explore the causal relationship between family meals and health and wellbeing outcomes. The qualitative studies identified multiple barriers to the family meal, including scheduling conflicts, exhaustion and lack of time, and reported family connection and communication as the main perceived benefits of the family meal. There is a gap between the benefits and barriers to the family meal identified through qualitative research, and current intervention strategies, with few interventions exclusively targeting the family meal. Interventions that are informed by qualitative literature and exclusively target the family meal are needed to further investigate the causal relationship between family meals and potential health and wellbeing outcomes.

Feeding the Australian family: challenges for mothers, nutrition and equity.

Australian women shoulder the bulk of household duties including family food provisioning, despite increasing participation in the workforce. This research aimed to understand employed mothers' daily-lived experience of family food provisioning, in particular, the intersection between family food provisioning, gender inequality and nutritional guidelines as they impact women's time and health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 employed mothers in South Australia. Participants had at least one child aged less than 13 years. Qualitative data was analysed using a thematic content approach. Time-scarcity was common and associated with stress in relation to family food provisioning; this relationship was particularly apparent among employed mothers who were also studying. Most mothers valued nutrition and strove to provide nutritious meals, although they tended to work from their own nutritional understandings, not the national nutrition guidelines; they saw the nutrition guidelines as unhelpful because of the time demands that were implied. The study invites policy makers, practitioners and researchers to consider time for family food provisioning as a social determinant of family as well as women's health, and structural strategies to address this health inequity for women.

Cross-country comparison of strategies for building consumer trust in food.

Consumer trust in the modern food system is essential given its complexity. Contexts vary across countries with regard to food incidents, regulation and systems. It is therefore of interest to compare how key actors in different countries might approach (re)building consumer trust in the food system; and particularly relevant to understanding how food systems in different regions might learn from one another. The purpose of this paper is to explore differences between strategies for (re)building trust in food systems, as identified in two separate empirical studies, one conducted in Australia, New Zealand and the UK (Study 1) and another on the Island of Ireland (Study 2). Interviews were conducted with media, food industry and food regulatory actors across the two studies (n = 105 Study 1; n = 50 Study 2). Data were coded into strategy statements, strategies describing actions to (re)build consumer trust. Strategy statements were compared between Studies 1 and 2 and similarities and differences were noted. The strategy statements identified in Study 1 to (re)build consumer trust in the food system were shown to be applicable in Study 2, however, there were notable differences in the contextual factors that shaped the means by which strategies were implemented. As such, the transfer of such approaches across regions is not an appropriate means to addressing breaches in consumer trust. Notwithstanding, our data suggest that there is still capacity to learn between countries when considering strategies for (re)building trust in the food system but caution must be exercised in the transfer of approaches.

Recovery college as a transition space in the journey towards recovery: An Australian qualitative study.

Recovery colleges are formal learning programs that aim to support people with a lived experience of mental illness. In this study, we aimed to explore the experiences of participants in a pilot recovery college that opened in Adelaide, South Australia, in 2016. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted involving interviews with learners (n = 8) and focus groups with lived experience facilitators (course facilitators with a lived experience of mental illness, n = 5), Clinician facilitators (mental health service staff facilitators, n = 4), and care coordinators (staff providing case management support, n = 5). Three main themes (hope, identity, and the recovery college as a transition space) and two subthemes (recovery college experience and outcomes) were identified. The results showed that the recovery college provided a transition space for shifting learners' identities from patient to student, facilitated by the experiences and outcomes of the recovery college, providing hope for the future. This study highlights the importance of providing mentally healthy and non-stigmatizing learning environments to promote and cement recovery for people with a lived experience of mental illness.

Self-expression and identity after total laryngectomy: Implications for support.

OBJECTIVE: To explore how individuals with a laryngectomy (IWL) from diverse backgrounds make meaning and adjust to the physical and functional changes from a total laryngectomy. To examine the extent primary supporters (PS) and health professionals (HP) are able to support IWL with the psychosocial and existential challenges rendered by a surgery that significantly impacts a person's talking, breathing, swallowing, and appearance. METHODS: A constructivist grounded theory approach and symbolic interactionism were used to guide data collection and analysis. Semi-structured interviewing occurred. RESULTS: Twenty-eight participants (12 IWL, 9 PS, and 7 HP) were interviewed. The findings suggest that IWL experience significant change to their self-identity and there is evidence of a range of passive and active reframing patterns (destabilised, resigned, resolute, and transformed). The loss of self-expression included changes to communicative participation, personal style, food preferences, and social roles. Short and longer-term supports appear to influence outcomes but are often ill-equipped to manage the psychosocial needs of IWL. CONCLUSIONS: Loss of self-expression after total laryngectomy influences self-identity and adjustment. How individuals reframe their identity appears to be tied with how they view their disabilities and disfigurement. These perceptions also appear to be influenced by the reactions of others and the support available. Further resourcing, education, and training are needed so that PS and HP can provide holistic care.

A literature scoping review of eating practices and food environments in 1 and 2-person households in the UK, Australia and USA.

The purpose of this article is to map the data currently available on the subject of eating practices and food environments in small (i.e. one- and two-person) households. Specifically, the enquiry is focused on commensality; the act of eating together. Research dates from the late 1980s, however, there are few recent publications on this subject. Searching Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest and Google Scholar, 2949 papers were found, but only 457 discussed any element of the research questions. These were further distilled to a count of 117, by abstract reading to 53 at which point, quality, location and study focus eliminated a further 34 articles leaving 19 articles. After full reading, it was clear that only seven of these focused on the research question in detail and these are marked as four-star articles by bold text. The 19 articles are analysed for quality and their aspects of relevance to the central research question is discussed.

In the interest of food safety: a qualitative study investigating communication and trust between food regulators and food industry in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: Food regulatory bodies play an important role in public health, and in reducing the costs of food borne illness that are absorbed by both industry and government. Regulation in the food industry involves a relationship between regulators and members of the industry, and it is imperative that these relationships are built on trust. Research has shown in a variety of contexts that businesses find the most success when there are high levels of trust between them and their key stakeholders. An evidence-based understanding of the barriers to communication and trust is imperative if we are to put forward recommendations for facilitating the (re)building of trusting and communicative relationships. METHODS: We present data from 72 interviews with regulators and industry representatives regarding their trust in and communication with one another. Interviews were conducted in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia in 2013. RESULTS: Data identify a variety of factors that shape the dynamic and complex relationships between regulators and industry, as well as barriers to communication and trust between the two parties. Novel in our approach is our emphasis on identifying solutions to these barriers from the voices of industry and regulators. CONCLUSIONS: We provide recommendations (e.g., development of industry advisory boards) to facilitate the (re)building of trusting and communicative relationships between the two parties.

A model for (re)building consumer trust in the food system.

The article presents a best practice model that can be utilized by food system actors to assist with (re)building trust in the food system, before, during and after a food incident defined as 'any situation within the food supply chain where there is a risk or potential risk of illness or confirmed illness or injury associated with the consumption of a food or foods' (Commonwealth of Australia. National Food Incident Response Protocol. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2012). Interviews were undertaken with 105 actors working within the media, food industry and food regulatory settings across Australia, New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK). Interview data produced strategy statements, which indicated participant views on how to (re)build consumer trust in the food system. These included: (i) be transparent, (ii) have protocols and procedures in place, (iii) be credible, (iv) be proactive, (v) put consumers first, (vi) collaborate with stakeholders, (vii) be consistent, (viii) educate stakeholders and consumers, (ix) build your reputation and (x) keep your promises. A survey was designed to enable participants to indicate their agreement/disagreement with the ideas, rate their importance and provide further comment. The five strategies considered key to (re)building consumer trust were used to develop a model demonstrating best practice strategies for (re)building consumer trust in the food system before, during and after a food incident. In a world where the food system is increasingly complex, strategies for (re)building and fostering consumer trust are important. This study offers a model to do so which is derived from the views and experiences of actors working across the food industry, food regulation and the media.