People could be putting their health at risk by trusting advice from friends and family more than scientists, reveals a new survey.
Many of us are more likely to believe what relatives and pals say than what we are told by independent scientists, the UK Government and the media, according to research from the Food Standards Authority (FSA).
The independent body has linked the finding to other results that show many people are naïve about basic food safety.
Almost a quarter of those polled thought it was safe to drink unpasteurised ‘raw’ milk, while one in ten did not believe reheating three-day-old meat leftovers was risky. The same proportion did not think eating too much salt could risk their health.
At the same time more than a third of respondents said they were concerned about eating beef – 16 years after the peak of BSE.
Asked to rate who they trusted the most to tell them about food risks, eight in ten put health professionals, such as doctors in the Top 10.
Half put ‘someone close to them’, but just two in five put independent scientists.
One in five included the Government, and only one in six trusted the media. Only a handful (seven per cent) rated supermarket advice highly.
Leading scientist Prof Colin Blakemore said: "This survey seems to show people are more likely to listen to advice about risk from friends than from scientists.
"It’s clear that scientists need to communicate reliable evidence in a way that everyone can understand and to find constructive ways of engaging with the public on areas of concern."
Prof Blakemore, formerly chief executive of the British Medical Research Council, said that the poll raised "interesting questions" as to why people found some foods risky.
The 22 per cent who thought unpasteurised milk is safe could be endangering their health following a survey in which three in five samples were contaminated with faecal matter.
Eating too much salt can increase blood pressure, leading to a higher risk of heart disease and strokes.
The FSA said the survey of 2,019 adults by RSGB Omnibus also revealed that some food fears were unfounded after fewer than two-thirds (63 per cent) said eating beef was of no or negligible concern.
Nine-in-10 respondents said they would be concerned about eating chicken from a factory infected with bird flu and two-thirds thought eating Genetically Modified food could be unsafe.
A spokesman for the FSA said: "In reality, there’s no scientific evidence to show that the food chain has a role in the contraction of bird flu in humans. People can’t catch bird flu through eating properly cooked chicken.
"The scientific evidence tells us that the GM foods currently available are as safe as their non-GM counterparts, and pose no additional risk to the consumer."
Response To The Question: "Who would you trust to tell which of the activities posed the most risk to health?"
(Percentage of people rating the person/organisation they would trust as first, second or third)
Health professional - doctor, etc. (81%)
Someone close to you (48%)
Independent scientist (42%)
The Government (21%)
The media (16%)
A charity (13%)
Health insurance company (10%)
Supermarkets (7%)