Still blaming the consumer? Geographies of responsibility in domestic food safety practices

Drawing upon qualitative and ethnographic data collected in the UK, this paper discusses how public discourses and concerns about food safety are negotiated into everyday domestic kitchen practices. While many participants demonstrated ‘behaviours’ or ‘practices’ which could be seen to contravene or fall short of official guidelines, this does not necessarily indicate ‘ignorance’ or lack of responsibility on the part of consumers. Indeed, when explored in detail, participants presented a range of reasons for engaging in what the UK Food Standards Agency regard as ‘risky’ practices. Their explanations point toward an understanding of the distribution of domestic responsibility in which a number of stakeholders are implicated, while simultaneously acknowledging their role as final arbiters of food safety in the home.