food safety, Consumer concerns about food safety span the issues of pesticide and herbicide residues on agricultural products, additives and preservatives used in food processing, and antibiotics and hormones used in livestock feed. Apprehension about food safety seems to be on the rise. Yet, consumer information has not kept pace. California's Proposition 65, passed in November 1986, requires food labels to note toxic chemicals and is one example of how consumers are seeking to ameliorate this situation. It may be time to permit individual consumers to decide how much toxins they want to consume, i.e., permit the marketing of food products containing a range of toxins so long as the foods are labeled to indicate the level of "health hazard" associated with the toxins the food contains. The "health hazard" displayed on food labels might be calculated like statisticians determine the health hazards associated with automobiles. (original)
Based on a talk presented to the conference on "Investing in the Future; Professional Education for the Undergraduate," sponsored by USDA and the Board on Agriculture, National Research Council, held April 15-17, 1991, at the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.
Kaiser, Harry M. (author), McGuirk, Anya M. (author), and McGuirk: Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics and Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Kaiser: Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics, Cornell University
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1991
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 85 Document Number: C05421
