Few titles could be timelier than the second edition of Crisis
Management in the Food and Drinks Industry - A Practical Approach. The
world is worrying about a human pandemic arising from the avian flu
epidemic that is spreading from the Far East, the implications of which
could be as great for the food industry as were the outbreaks of foot
and mouth disease and BSE.
This practical and greatly expanded edition by media and public
relations veteran Colin Doeg focuses on the communications aspects of
dealing with a crisis. It is global in its coverage of the subject,
reviewing practices and requirements in countries ranging from the USA
and the UK to Australia and New Zealand.
Doeg offers advice ranging from preparing for the unthinkable to the
dramatic expansion of the Internet, avoiding being caught off-guard by a
situation, the ramifications of product tampering and managing an actual
crisis.
Advice is also offered on dealing with extremist organizations and
terrorist threats as well as bioterrorism - "a clear and present
danger" - and a number of problems facing the food industry, including
the practice of selling meat unfit for human consumption and the threat
posed by the increasing toxicity of fish due to the rising pollution of
the world's oceans.
In a special late chapter - written only three months before
publication - the author looks ahead to events which he believes will
shape the world of crisis management in the future, including the
empowering influence of the Internet during the 2004 Asian Tsunami, the
discovery of the illegal dye Sudan 1 (Red) in millions of food products
and the fears of a pandemic arising from the spreading outbreak of avian
flu.
Examples of typical documents like a crisis plan for a business, a
crisis checklist, a press release announcing a product recall, an
announcement to employees and a checklist for anyone dealing with a
threatening phone call are provided. Also included is a list of sources
of information and assistance in the event of a product crisis.
Crisis Management in the Food and Drinks Industry is the only title
dealing specifically with this crucial subject in relation to the food
industry. As such, it is relevant not only to those in the food
industry, but also to marketing and senior management in general in the
fields of agriculture, public health and law enforcement.
