歐盟追蹤追溯系統在食品安全體系中的功能
499
Functions of the EU Traceability Regulations in the
Food Safety System
—
From Risk Management to
Informed Consumer Choice
Chih-hsiung Chen
School of Law, National Chiao Tung University
No. 1001, University Rd., Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
E-mail: chen
@
mail
.
nctu
.
edu
.
tw
Shen-Jhih Hu
School of Law, National Chiao Tung University
No. 1001, University Rd., Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
E-mail:
Abstract
Traceability refers to the ability to trace, track and follow food or
food ingredients through all stages of production and distribution.
Following such devastating food safety crises as mad cow disease in the
1990s, the European Union realized the importance of a traceability
system to maintaining high-levels of protection of human life and
health. Regulation
(
EC
)
No 178/2002 thus requires that food manu-
facturers, distributors, and retailers participate in the traceability sys-
tem, so that targeted and accurate withdrawals can be undertaken.
Meanwhile, consumers can use food information to pursue other
personal goals, including economic, environmental, social and ethical
ones. Informed consumer choice therefore serves as a purpose besides
risk management in the EU food traceability system. On the other
hand, trade secrets, transparency issues along the food supply chain,
and the legality of SPS measures under the WTO framework could
pose great challenges to the performance of the system.
Key Words
:
traceability
, f
ood
s
afety
, r
isk
management
,
informed
c
hoice