食品安全行政におけるリスクコミュニケーション調整機能とその体制

抄録

Japan introduced the framework of risk analysis into its food safety administration in 2003 in response to BSE crisis. The objective of this paper is to review how the concept of risk communication was institutionalized in Japan as compared with that of the international organization and other jurisdictions. The detailed historical analysis revealed three distinguished features of risk communication in Japanese food safety system. First, Japan has explicitly introduced the “function of coordination” between risk management body and risk assessment body to ensure comprehensive administration of risk communication. Second, such function was explicitly designated to the Food Safety Commission, the risk assessment body, until the recent establishment of the Consumer Affairs Agency. Third, despite the existence of risk communication coordinating body, no integrated strategic plan specific to risk communication is developed.