European Food Law and the Precautionary Principle: Paradoxical Effects of the EU’s Precautionary Food Policies

Abstract

The precautionary principle has been invoked to support stringent European food law. By its nature, the principle is particularly relevant to food security. This chapter discusses how precaution has been applied in EU food law generally, and finds that its application has been both controversial and selective. We then turn to two specific cases in which the precautionary principle played a prominent role: antibiotic residues in food and micronutrient malnutrition. On this basis, we revisit the precautionary principle's role in EU food law. We conclude that the precautionary principle is best understood as a political tool, rather than an intellectual concept.