ABSTRACT
Food safety has received heightened attention in the developed as well as in developing countries because of: an increased demand for safe food by households with rapidly rising incomes; technological improvements in measuring contaminants; a more diverse group of exporters; and increased media and consumer attention to the risks of food-borne illnesses and the dangers associated with recent food scares. Examples include Salmonella in cantaloupe and pesticide residues in green beans and grapes. In response, food retailers and food service firms in developed countries have created private protocols relating to pesticide residues, field and packing house operations and traceability. Likewise, governments in both developed and developing countries have responded with both mandatory and voluntary programmes for food safety. The increased food safety standards can potentially exclude small farmers who face four problems: (1) how to produce safe food; (2) how to be recognized as producing safe food; (3) how to identify cost-effective technologies for reducing risk; and (4) how to be competitive with larger producers (Narrod et al, 2005).
