Food safety assessment reflecting cultural changes, novel hazards, and human values

An analysis of the cultural values of modern society suggests the desire for an abundant nutritious food supply in all seasons, but at the same time causes increasing concern about the safety of food ingredients. The procedures that give benefits also raise questions of safety. The wide range of societal values cover a spectrum but can be ranked according to their importance. These values will exact a price in the form of some risk. It is possible to balance hazards against cultural values, and benefits are an integral part of the calculus of safety assessment. However, every effort should be made to match the highest benefit with the lowest risk and these considerations have a bearing upon regulatory agencies as they seek to arrive at food safety decisions. A consideration of cultural and human values shifts the regulator's focus from risk only to a quite different task of balancing risks vs benefits in deciding on substances in foods.