title: Politicization and institutional unclarity: the case of the Portuguese food agency.
abstract: Recent changes in the institutional framework of food safety in Portugal have been initiated by BSE scandals and by EU legislative impact. Portuguese consumers have only recently moved from a poverty-related fear of food scarcity to modern fears of safety-related problems with food. Food safety is now highly politicized in Portugal, and the organization of food safety policies has been the topic of several parliamentary debates and of governmental reform. The chapter describes the political conflicts generated by the planned establishment of a new Food Agency-controversies which have so far hindered institutional change.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Oporto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal. Mafalda_doming@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mafalda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domingues
mesh_terms: D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005523:Food Supply; D006076:Government; D006801:Humans; D007881:Legislation, Food / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D011050:Policy Making; D011057:Politics; D011174:Portugal