The Past, Present, and Future of Food Regulation: A European Perspective

Alberto Alemanno (guest instructor at the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations) will be presenting a talk at Harvard, 

The Past, Present, and Future of Food Regulation: A European Perspective, March, 21, Wednesday, 12:00-1:00.  This presentation, by telling 3 main stories, will offer a European perspective on the past, present and future of the regulation of food products and food consumption. While story 1 will illustrate the genesis, evolution and main features of EU food law and policy, story 2 will explore – by examining some of the ongoing food trade disputes – the international food regulatory regime introduced by the World Trade Organization. By looking into the future, story 3 focuses instead on the regulatory challenges related to the obesity epidemic. After discussing the EU 'regulatory mix' consisting of regulatory initiatives (e.g. labeling schemes, such as health claims) and self-regulatory mechanisms (e.g. voluntary commitments), it explores – at the time of increasing European interest for the use of nudging – the effectiveness and legitimacy of regulatory approaches aimed at integrating the findings of behavioral research into policy-making.