ABSTRACT
In this book we have critically analysed the regulation of the contemporary food system, paying particular attention to the ways in which food safety (and food risk) is dynamically constructed between public, private and consumer interests, operating at a variety of spatial scales. Among the key points drawn out is the complexity of the contemporary food system, such that it cannot simply be understood by focussing on selected private actors, such as farmers or retailers. The ways in which food supply chains as a whole operate can be at least as important as the parts played by individual or groups of actors in delivering foods. There is variety in the way in which food supply chains operate, as we demonstrate in relation to red meat and fresh fruit and vegetables, so it is necessary to be able to understand both the singularities and commonalities of supply chains. The role of governments, and patterns of governance, in food safety needs to be explored at a variety of scales, since neither a national nor a European level of analysis is suffi cient. The making and delivery of food policy is taking place at multiple scales and this understanding must be incorporated into, and refl ected by, analytical models. The nature of contemporary food governance means that an institutional analysis can only provide a partial picture of food safety management. Whilst bodies such as the European Food Safety Authority and the Food Standards Agency (see Chapters 4 and 9) are important objects of analysis, as we have consistently argued, it is the interactions between public and private sectors that are essential to a fuller understanding of the food system.
