Acceptance of Altered Foods: A European Perspective

Eluned Jones, TAMU

Lynn Frewer, U. of Wageningen

Drivers of the EU perspective

20051990 20001985 1995

US Farm Bill market oriented

Strategic decision making on investment pipeline in

bio-engineering 1996 – 1st commercial biotech crops plants

Nov/Dec 1989 Fall of Berlin Wall –Start of conversion of EasternEurope to market economies

1996 UK regulatory agencies acknowledge link BSE/vCJD

Monsanto & DuPont invest $20B in acquisitions

1999 Dioxin contamination ofpoultry feed in Belgium

30

0

10

20

numberof

articles

date

Media reporting about BSE in 1996

Risk Trust and blame

Tabloids

Quality papers

Social amplification of risk - Trigger events (1) The Pusztai case (August 1998)

Social amplification of risk - Trigger events (2) Greenpeace starts picketing (1998)

Social amplification of risk - Trigger events (3) The Prince of Wales joins in (1999)

Industry attempts issues management - Monsanto UK corporate advertising campaign (1998)

Belgian dioxin crisis 1999Domestic consumption: robust

Per capita consumption

(kg) of beef and poultry in Belgium

Dioxin crisis

(Data source: Euromonitor)

Belgian dioxin crisis 1999Exports: sensitive

(Data source: UN, COMTRADE database)

Dioxin crisis

Belgian beef and poultry exports (metric tons)

Top Global Supermarket Companies

Company Countries of Operation

Wal-Mart Stores (US)

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, S. Korea, UK, US, Vietnam

Carrefour (France)

Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Rep., Dominican Rep., Egypt, France, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, S. Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, US.

Ahold(Netherlands)

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Rep., Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, US

Kroger (US) US

Metro (Germany)

Austria, Belgium,Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Rep., Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, Vietnam

Tesco (UK) Czech Rep., Hungary, Ireland, Malaysia, Poland, Slovakia, S. Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, US

Costco (US) Canada, Japan, Mexico, S. Korea, Taiwan, UK, US

Albertsons (US) US

Saturated Fats

Sugar

Salmonella

Botulinum

BSE

Pesticide Residue

Hormone Residue

Genetically Altered Foods

Nitrates

Colouring Organic Produce

UNFAMILIAR

NOT DREADED

Assessing perceptions of food risks

Fife-Schaw and Rowe, 2000

DREADED

FAMILIAR

Information source characteristics - 1999

Health Which?

Greenpeace

World Health OrganizationHealth Education Authority

British Medical Association

Dept of Health

Large commercial food manufacturer

Large UK supermarket The Consumers Association

MAFF

Accountable to others

Likely to withhold information

Provide sensationalised information

Social Amplification

Expert in the area

Factual information

Good track record

Accurate information

Truthful information

In favour of using source

Concerned about public

welfare

Responsibility to provide

Freedom to provide

Knowledgeable

Trustworthy

Trust

Distorted information

Biased information

Vested interest

Proven wrong in past

Protect self and interests

Distrust

Social Attenuation

Large commercial food manufacturer (1998)

Large UK supermarket (1998)

Relative Trust in Agencies to Conduct Credence Certifications (safety, animal,

social and environment)

US UK

Least trusted Special Interest Groups

Gov’t

Most trusted Gov’t Retailer

Bailey et al, Utah State Univ. 2003

What is the long-term problem in Europe?

• misperceive the dynamic of public acceptance of risk

• Public distrust in regulatory institutions continues to increase

• All risk management practices are subsequently judged to be flawed

Public perceptions and attitudes:What are the key questions?

• What is driving consumer perceptions of risk and benefit?

• Who trusts whom to inform and regulate? How does this relate to consumer confidence in the food chain and associated science base?

• Are there cross-cultural and intra-individual differences in perceptions and information needs?

• How might the wider public be involved in the debate about risk management and technological development?

• How do related factors (ethics, wider value systems) relate to perceptions of risk?

• How do the public react to information about risk uncertainty?

Consumers and experts

• decline in the public’s trust in science has passed a “threshold point” where the legitimacy of scientific judgement is questioned

• the rise of the “consumer citizen” and informed choice at the level of consumer choice

• the diminished role of the “expert”

- wide availability of specialist information

- broad shifts in the national (and in some cases international) political culture towards more transparent risk management practices

Precautionary Principle vs Due Diligence

• Original intent: to sanction action where lack of full scientific certainty exists – e.g. Exxon Valdese oil contamination

• In food/trade policy: to limit market activity where non-zero risk is present, until scientific knowledge can clarify risk exposure.

UK Legislation• 1990 Food Safety Act 1994 General Product Safety

Regulations tightened interpretation of ‘due diligence’

• Requires demonstrated working system

• Assigns responsibility for ingredients ‘ownership’

Role in Market Oversight Public vs. Private

• Industry governance• Country

competitiveness• Industry – economic

performance• Product inspection

• Firm governance• Strategic advantage

• Netchain performance• Process verification

Private sector motivation, e.g. 1990 UK Food Safety Act increased liability for safety of food products downstream (retail). Retail could be held liable for practices upstream. Alternative governance structures/organization protocols adopted to reduce risk exposure – process vs. product added as a coordinating mechanism.

EU Definition of Traceability

• “The ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-producing animal or substance intended to be or expected to be incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages of production, processing and distribution.” – European Union General Food Law Reg. EC No. 178/2002

US Definition of Traceability

• US agribusiness firms and producers often feel uncomfortable with the EU definition of traceability because they believe it is broader than what is necessary to achieve specific food safety or quality assurance goals

• Possible US definition – “The efficient and rapid tracking of physical product and traits from and to critical points of origin or destination in the food chain necessary to achieve specific food safety and/or quality assurance goals.”

The quality pathCarrefour’s response:

Free Products 1975

1992

1991

1985

1995

1997

2000

2001

Carrefour brand

Organic: ‘Boule Bio’

Start of FQC / 1st Bovine Line

FQC/ Fruit and Vegetables Line

Carrefour Bio PGC (organic)

Soya Line no GMO Brazil

Carrefour Organic Lines Internationalisation FQC

2003

Club FQCTrace One

Traceability within the Supply Chain

SectorHACCP

Food SafetyCodes

SystemHACCP

Fully integrated safe, quality, 3rd party audited protocols, e.g. SQF 2000 (ISO + HACCP)

No specifications Sector Grades & standard

Product SpecificationsNon-audited | Audited

ASSURANCE

FO

OD

SA

FE

TY

Engineered Protein Products

Crop Protein Products Company

Corn Blood protein,

Vaccine monoclonal antibodies for delivering anti-cancer drugs

Prodigene

Corn Monoclonal antibodies for anti-cancer toxins

Monsanto Integrated Protein Technologies

Corn, Soybeans

Phytase enzymes Novozymes Biotech

Tobacco Therapeutic enzymes,

HIV vaccine

CropTech Corp.