Trust and functional foods. New products,old issues

Trust in the "agro-food" sector has been declining in recent years reflecting a general decline of trust in traditional decision making processes. The introduction of new technologies in the production of foods re-introduces the problem of trust and highlights the parameters affecting its structure and direction. This paper discusses the issue of trust in relation to the introduction of functional foods into the market. Trust is assessed as both a philosophical and a psychological construct with particular emphasis on its communication aspects. The paper ends with specific recommendations for action in the agro-food sector. This paper partly reflects work done with Professor Cees Midden, Technical University of Eindhoven, as part of an expert technology assessment project for the Europaeische Akademie Bad Neuenahr Ahrweiler GmbH.