Regulation of Chemicals in Food

Abstract

This chapter discusses the regulation of chemicals introduced into food during cultivation and processing. It covers chemicals intentionally added to facilitate production, enhance products, mislead buyers or physically harm consumers, as well as chemicals that inadvertently contaminate food from processing equipment, packaging, or environmental pollution. The chapter surveys a variety of regulatory strategies that arise out of domestic law (using the United States as an example), transnational legal obligations (using the European Union as an example), and international standards (using the Codex Alimentarius as an example).

Keywords: food safety regulation, food contamination, foodborne illness, economic adulteration, food additives, food coloring, pesticide residues, herbicide residues, fertilizer residues, animal drug residues, food contact materials, environmental pollutants in food, food defense

JEL Classification: I18, Q18