The quality of food risk management in Europe: Perspectives and priorities

In this paper, we address the issue of foodriskmanagement as practised in Western Europe. We begin by considering howfoodrisks are managed, and then go on to consider how well they are managed. There are multiple answers to the ‘how well’ question, which are related to the varied perspectives of the different key stakeholders – from the foodrisk managers and producers, to the general public and the media. Consequently, there is no clear answer to the question of quality. What our review does identify is two priorities relevant to our understanding of effective foodriskmanagement: first, a need for further research to determine the source and nature of the different evaluative perspectives, and second, a need for the key stakeholders to appreciate and understand the alternative perspectives in order to enhance the effectiveness of the foodriskmanagement process.