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.
