“Zero” in terms of food policy and risk perception

In the present article, the concept of “zero” is discussed using three examples, chemical contaminants/residues in foods, radionuclides, and GM foods. These examples share several common features. First, the risk reduction is generally quantified as the “fold” reduction, i.e., risk reduction by twofold, 10-fold, etc., as no other convenient parameters are available. Second, there are situations where “zero” virtually does not exist, such as in the case of toxicants in GM plants or of radionuclides, because the background always exists. Third, assuring “zero” is often impossible on technological and other reasons. This shows the critical importance of understanding and communicating “zero” in terms of food policy.