A COOKBOOK FOR A CONSISTENT FOOD SAFETY STANDARD FOR CARCINOGENIC FOODS: LOOKING TO THE INGREDIENTS OF A FOOD RATHER THAN ITS RECIPE

Abstract

The current food safety standards are based on the implicit assumption that the food that people traditionally have eaten is fundamentally risk-free. This may be an accurate assumption in the context of risks from acute health effects of poisonous foods. However, this assumption cannot be maintained in the context of risks from chronic health problems, such as cancer. The current regulatory scheme reflects people's irrational bias against non-natural carcinogenic foods. This scheme has proven to be relatively unworkable, and has led to an examination of the wrong issues in attempting to eliminate the health risks from carcinogenic foods. Indeed, the focus on a food's recipe in the context of carcinogens has caused us reduce the risks of cancer inefficiently. This paper will present proposals that will make the food safety standards for carcinogens consistent. This will allow for the reduction of the risk from carcinogens in a more cost-effective manner. This paper will also consider the implications of risk perception and risk communication research in formulating effective risk management policies.