Abstract

This article analyzes food safety policy reform in Europe following the increasingly frequent crises that occurred at state levels during the 1980's and 1990's. The European reforms aim to overcome problems of governance fragmentation and inadequacy, and seek to resolve problems deriving from the globalization of the food chain. The reduction of risk and the greater consumer confidence achieved are explained by a number of mechanisms that have resulted in change both to governance structure, with the creation of a new European Independent Authority, and to the regulation process, achieved by enhancing the coordination within European multi-level governance networks.