Strategic responses to food safety legislation

This paper assesses the responses made by food companies to changes in food safety legislation. Such responses are assessed in three ways. Firstly, an assessment is made as to why strategic responses to such legislation might be different to general strategic behaviour. Secondly a conceptual framewo rk is presented and an examination of supply chain organisational response is made. Finally, the paper addresses the question of external marketing re sponses to food safety legislation The paper concludes that food safety leg islation is different, and often requires very swift strategic actions to b e effective. Like other forms of legislation, however, food safety issues c an also provide incentives and opportunities to well-managed and market-ori entated firms. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.