INTERNATIONAL FOOD SAFETY
In;the;near;future,;however,
companies and governments alike
will emphasize cost cutting, which
could affect food
safety;measures.;In
addition;to;the;above-
mentioned potential
problems,;the;number
of food analyses to
test contaminant
levels performed not
only;by;companies
but;also;by;regulatory
authorities could
decrease.;Moreover,
difficult;economic
situations may
pressure some
governments to ease
regulations to save
companies from
bankruptcy.;If;that;happens,;the;number
of food safety-related incidents very
likely;will;increase.;While;some;may;be
controlled promptly and without serious
consequences,;it;is;possible;and;even
likely;that;some;incidents;will;be;severe.
“In the near future,
however, companies
and governments alike
will emphasize cost
cutting, which could
food;baskets;or;in;food;safety;systems,
attention;is;given;by;all;involved;in;the
food chain—from producers to regulators
to consumers—to the real cost of these
savings.;There;will;be;a;greater;risk;of
food;incidents;and;outbreaks;as;well;as
increased;economic;risk:;The;presence
of food contaminants may require the
costly withdrawal of products from the
market.;Moreover,;it;is;necessary;to
pursue efforts to promote healthy eating
habits;at;the;level;of;the;individual,
companies and regulators, which are not,
in;fact,;incompatible;with;less;expensive
foods.;n
affect food safety
measures.”
the;1990s.
Thus,;it;is;very;important;that;even
though the present downturn makes
it tempting to save money in family
Alexandra Veiga, Ph.D., is a member of the
editorial team of P3FC and of Food;Safety
Magazine. She is also the science manager
at ITQB-UNL, a life sciences research institute
near Lisbon, Portugal. She has a Ph.D. in food
engineering and is the chair of the Special Interest
Group on Food Safety of the European Federation
of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST).
