ABSTRACT
Most of Britain’s food is purchased from the shelves of the multiple retail outlets. A key question concerning food choice lies in why some products and not others will reach those retailers’ shelves. Supermarkets are not simply ‘empty vessels’ passively responding to the demands of consumers. To sustain their markets retailers, along with producers, manufacturers and processors, and distributors are involved in creating food choices for consumers. The corporate retailers also operate in a complex regulatory framework governed by national and increasingly European requirements. By establishing what is and is not permitted in terms of hygiene, content and production, state regulation also helps to set the boundaries which structure food choices.
