ABSTRACT
Food safety incidents in Europe like BSE, dioxins and outbreaks of E. coli 0157 have shown considerable gaps in knowledge of the seriousness of effects that scientific uncertainty can produce, the degree of magnification and spreading of risks, as well as of failures in adequate risk management strategies. Globalisation of trade and transboundary movements of raw and intermediate materials for food production demand specific measures regarding traceability and quality control in order to guarantee a safe and healthy food supply which may not always be transparent and trustworthy for the consumer. Moreover, the introduction of new food production technologies such as modern biotechnology and the application of nanotechnology in food production apparently evoke specific questions regarding the potential impact on the safety and health of humans, animals and the environment, in particular, with regard to the potential existence of long-term and irreversible adverse harm.
