FDA Food Terrorism Consumer MM Protocol Outline
FDA Food Terrorism
Consumer Preparedness and Response to Elevated Threat Level
Consumer MM Research Protocol Outline
Opening
Hi, this is <name> with Decision Partners. As I explained when I set up this interview, we have been asked by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to talk to consumers about their views on risks associated with terrorism in the food supply. One goal for this research is to enable consumer preparedness for a possible terrorism event linked to food, and to improve communications about preparedness.
I have a list of questions to help guide our discussion, but please feel free to raise anything that comes to mind as we go along. In this kind of an interview, there are no right or wrong answers. All of your comments will add value to the research. I also want to assure you that we will not identify you as the specific source of any comments in our report. Instead, the report will consolidate the responses of everyone we interview. And certainly, feel free to not answer a question if you wish.
Before we start, in order to ensure that my notes of our conversation are accurate and complete, I’d like to ask your permission to record our conversation, but I would like to stress again that your responses will be kept confidential. The recording will only be used by Decision Partners and will be destroyed at the conclusion of the project. No personally identifying information will be passed along to FDA. May we proceed on that basis?
Our discussion will take place in four main parts. First we’ll talk generally about risks associated with food terrorism. Next, we’ll talk about what you might do in response to an increased threat of food terrorism. Then we’ll talk about preparedness for food terrorism threats. And then we’ll finish up with some questions about you. But just before we start, let me confirm that you have children at home for whom you buy food. Is that correct?
Nature of Threat to the Food System
(Link to Node:Terrorism threat)
First of all, what first comes to mind when you think about terrorism as it relates to the food supply system?
Just to ensure that we are talking about things in the same way, here is how the Food and Drug Administration’s defines the threat of terrorism on the food supply system.
Read description –Food terrorism is the deliberate contamination of food with the intent to terrorize and cause harm to individuals. It does not include accidental or natural contamination incidents such as the recent e-coli contamination of spinach.
Have you ever read or heard about a terrorism threat to the food system?
If so,
What was it that you read or heard?
Where did you read or hear about it?
(Threat and health consequences)
Keeping in mind the definition I just read, what bad things could happen to you and your family as a result of food terrorism?
If they don’t mention health effects, prompt:
Are there any potential negative impacts on your health and the health of your family?
Of the things that you mentioned, what might be the most serious or concerning to you?
Why would that/those be most concerning?
(Attitude/belief about likelihood)
How likely is it that something like this might happen generally to families in the United States, not necessarily to you or your family in particular? Would you say: Very likely, Somewhat Likely, or Not at all likely?
Why do you say that?
How likely is it that something like this might happen to you or your family in particular? Again, would you say: Very likely, Somewhat Likely, or Not at all likely?
Why you say that?
(Expectations of Social and Economic Disruption)
Beyond the health impacts, what sorts of bad things might happen in your community as a result of a food terrorism threats?
If economic impacts are not mentioned, prompt
Might there be serious economic impacts that could arise from a food terrorism threat? (If so), tell me more about what those might be.
Responses to a Change in the Threat Level
(Recognition of threat – change in threat level)
Now I’d like to hear your thoughts about an increase in the terrorism threat level.
Generally, how would you expect to first learn about a potential terrorism threat to the food supply system?
What would you say is the best way to communicate information on the food terrorism threats to people like you?
You hear on the news that the terrorism threat level has been raised to orange, or high.
What first comes to mind when you hear the threat level has been raised to orange?
What sorts of things might you do when you hear about this change?
Why would those things be useful to do?
A bit later, you hear that the change in the threat level may be related to a threat of terrorism in the food supply system.
What might come to mind now, with this new information?
What sorts of things might you do now?
What questions might you have about the threat?
How likely is it that you would seek out information to answer those questions? Would it be, Very likely, Somewhat likely, or Not at all likely? Why you say that?
If likely, where would you seek information?
Why there?
What sorts of things might increase the likelihood that you would seek out such information?
Have you ever looked for information on food terrorism threats before?
If so,
Where did you go?
Why did you go there?
What information did you find there?
Is there anywhere else you’ve gone to or would go to? Why did/would you go there
If not,
Where might you go to get more information about the threat?
Why would you go there?
Is there anywhere else you’ve gone to or would go to? Why did/would you go there
I’m going to read you a brief list of other sources of information. For each tell me whether you would go there and briefly why or why not (ask only those they haven’t already mentioned):
Department of Homeland Security
Other U.S. government officials
U.S. television (other TV)
U.S. newspaper or magazines (other)
Internet (what sources?)
Your family physician
Community officials
Community leaders (for example, minister, rabbi, teachers)
Family and friends
Finally, you hear that people are advised to go the FDA website for more information about the threat level and its change to orange.
How likely is it that you would go to the FDA website and seek out answers to your questions? Would you say: Very likely, Somewhat likely or Not at all likely?
Again, why do you say that?
Of these sources, which would you consider to be the most credible source of information about a food terrorism threat?
Why would you say this source is particularly credible?
Personal and Government Preparedness
Now, I’d like to turn to your views on preparedness to address a terrorism threat to the food supply as well as government’s ability to protect citizens from a terrorism threat to the food supply and to adequately respond to a problem if one occurs.
(Current Preparedness)
How prepared would you say you and your family are to respond to a raised threat of terrorism toward the food supply system? Would you say you are: Well prepared, Somewhat prepared or Not at all prepared?
Please explain your answer.
(Benefits of Preparation)
What (else) could you do to be better prepared?
Of these, what might be the single best thing you could do to be more prepared?
Why would this be particularly good to do, that is, how would this benefit you or your family?
(Personal ability to act)
What might be preventing you from taking action to be better prepared?
How easy might it be to address those things so you can be better prepared?
What information would be helpful to you in better preparing your family for a food terrorism threat?
Would this information be different in any way from information about non-terrorism food threats, for example, e-coli contamination that occurs from a natural source?
If yes, prompt: how would you tell they are different?
Where might you go for information about becoming more prepared for food terrorism threats?
If FDA is not mentioned, prompt: You didn’t mention the FDA. Can you tell me a bit about why?
If FDA is mentioned, prompt: What information from the FDA might be particularly useful to you? And why do you say that?
(Perceptions of government’s ability)
What could the FDA do that might increase your confidence in the agency’s ability to help people prepare for a terrorism threat in the food supply system?
Why would those things be particularly helpful?
Government and food system preparedness
(Perceptions of government’s ability)
How confident are you in the federal government’s ability to identify a food terrorism threat? Would you say you are: Very confident, Somewhat confident, or Not at all confident?
Please explain your answer.
How confident are you that the federal government is prepared to respond to a food terrorism threat? Would you say you are: Very confident, Somewhat confident, or Not at all confident? Why do you say that?
What might be done within the food system to better prepare for the possibility of a food terrorism incident? Why do you say that?
How confident are you that the food system itself, from farmers to food companies to grocers, are prepared to respond to a food terrorism threat? Would you say you are: Very confident, Somewhat confident, or Not at all confident?
Why do you say that?
What might be done within the food system to better prepare for the possibility of a food terrorism incident? Why do you say that?
Close
Is there anything else that came to mind as we were talking about the threat of food terrorism, preparedness and response? Anything that we didn’t cover?
If you could offer the FDA one piece of advice about the threat of food terrorism, preparedness and response, what would that be?
In closing, I have a few demographic questions.
Age
Gender
Number of children under 18
Highest level of education
State
Rural or Urban
Annual family income - ranges
Those are the questions that I had. Thank you very much for your time
____________
If they have questions about the research, tell them the results will be used by the FDA to ....
If people have questions about DP, or want to contact the FDA regarding the research, forward them to Sue Egan [email protected] or 877 588 9106 (or take their number and DP will contact them).
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INTERIM WORK PRODUCT – DO NOT CITE
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | FDA Food Terrorism |
| File Modified | 2007-07-10 |
| File Created | 2007-07-10 |