Introduction

Abstract

Agrifood systems are increasingly being examined and judged by public opinion on their ability to deliver safe food products. In particular, the various disease outbreaks that occurred in recent decades at international level (mad cow disease, dioxin, salmonella, E. coli) have dramatically raised awareness of how intensive and highly industrialised systems can cause profound damage to consumers and producers. They also highlighted the difficulties and the cost of regulating food safety within a context of dramatically increased global trade. Regulations were already in force long before these crises, but have been drastically strengthened since then. Increasingly strict regulations have thus emerged at national and supranational level, for instance those set by European and multilateral organisations, to frame the activity of producers and downstream supply chain actors i.e. retailers, importers, food agencies and other public bodies). These regulations usually combine food control mechanisms, norms regulating the final product e.g. maximum thresholds on residues of biochemical and microbiological contaminants), traceability and risk management systems (e.g. HACCP), prescriptions on good agricultural practices on field and farms, and liability rules.