A critical review of Who is at risk and what do they know? Segmenting a population based on their knowledge of food safety: research paper written by McCarthy M., Brennan M., Kelly AL, Ritson C., De Boer M. and Thompson N., published in Food Journal and Preference 18 (2007) 205-217. , a research paper on the assessment of the level of food safety knowledge, the classification of food safety knowledge in the Republic of Ireland, by the faculties of the Department of Food Trade and Development, Food Sciences Food and Nutrition and Food and Rural Development University College Cork Ireland. and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom respectively. Introduction: McCarthy et al., 2007. Concerns about the increase in foodborne illness and its relationship to consumers' level of food safety knowledge likely prompted the author to assess food safety knowledge levels food safety among the Irish population with the aim of ranking knowledge levels. Additionally, previous studies conducted in the Republic of Ireland on food safety awareness and knowledge (DE BOER et al. 2005; Bolton et al. 2005; Bolton et al. 2008) have indicated that consumer decisions regarding food safety risks are lower than experts' expectations. Globally, concerns over food safety are increasingly giving rise to comprehensive analysis of escalating food safety risks and factors affecting food safety decisions. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that millions of people become ill from foodborne illnesses every year. WHO, 2014, United States estimates 48 million people each year (Anon), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) estimates approximately 4 million foodborne illnesses reported annually in 2013 ( Estimates of Foodborne Illness in Canada - Government of Canada 2013) and the European Union report that food handlers are the likely cause of foodborne illness...... middle of article.. .... edirect.com/science/article /pii/S0003267006016424World Health Organization (WHO) 2014: Internet source. Health themes – Food safety. http://www.who.int/topics/food_safety/en/WHO, Economic Impact of Foodborne Diseases. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/capacity/en/1.pdfWilcock A, Pun M, Khanona J, Aung M. 2004. Consumer attitudes, knowledge and behavior: a review of food safety issues. Trending Food Sci. Technology. [Internet] 15:56-66. Available at: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0924224403001900 Worsfold D, Griffith CJ. 1997. Assessing the Standard of Consumer Behavior in Food Safety. J. Food protection. 60:399–406. Yang H, Mokhtari A, Jaykus LA, Morales RA, Cates SC, Cowen P. 2006. Consumer-stage risk assessment for Listeria monocytogenes in processed meats. Anal risk. [Internet] 26:89-103. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16492183