Assuring the quality of food products, especially their safety and nutritio
n levels, is an increasing focus for governments, companies, and internatio
nal trade bodies. In choosing quality assurance programs, public and privat
e decision-makers must assess the benefits and costs of expected improvemen
ts in food safety and nutrition. This article discusses methods for measuri
ng these benefits and costs as well as how these valuations are related to
the mix of voluntary and mandatory quality management systems used in parti
cular countries or trading blocs. These relationships are illustrated by a
short case study of safety assurance systems for meat and poultry products.