Food Law: The precautionary principle is not the answer

The purpose of regulations is to establish tolerability and acceptability for technological risk, but it’s a risky business setting standards and enforcing them when the science is uncertain. Society needs to take a precautionary approach to adopting the precautionary principle or we run the risk of being more sorry than safe. It poses useful questions, but does not provide answers.

Ronald L. Doering, BA, LL.B, MA, LL.D, is a past president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. He practices food law in the Ottawa offices of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, and can be reached at: Ronald.doering@gowlings.com