Food safety is currently one of the most important issues confronting consumers, producers and distributors. It cannot be dealt with as just a physical problem but must be considered as a multi-dimensional one, affected by politics, economics and social influences. This book focuses on the specific example of food safety in the beef industry in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia. It outlines the experience of a number of countries with food safety problems (such as BSE) and examines: drivers for change and institutional arrangements within the four countries, whether there is a socially optimal approach to food safety, how much consumers can rely on the industry to police itself and governments to look after their interests. It also examines the implications for competitiveness and world trade.