Laurian Unnevehr
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Tanya Roberts
USDA Economic Research Service
Carl Custer
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

New rapid and sensitive testing technologies, based on the biotechnology tools underlying modern medical diagnostics, have been developed for the food industry. The growing demand for food safety in the marketplace, combined with increased availability of new testing technologies, has led to shifts in both the demand and supply of food safety information. As a result, more food safety information is being generated, and this information is being used in firm management and food buyer decisions. These biotechnology-based testing methods are leading to better food safety performance in the marketplace.

Key words: Economics of information, food safety, rapid diagnostic tests