Consumer concern about food quality issues has been increasing in Europe recently as a result of the series of food safety crises and the on-going debate on genetically engineered food products. The characteristics of a good which interest consumers in this connection cannot be directly ascertained by them, however. Credible mechanisms are required for monitoring these "credence characteristics" and signalling the results to consumers. The public authorities have an important role to play in this regard.
Full article available only as PDF