ETHICS AND TRUST WHILE FOOD SAFETY CRISIS

Ethics and trust should be significant values for the food market actors. Firstly, these values will be shortly characterized. Then, the authors describe the role of ethics and trust in food quality and safety assurance and the role of ethics and trust when food hazards appear. The main weak points, the areas of possible problems in keeping ethics and trust will be indicated. The main aim of this paper is to find answer to the question if there is the same importance and role of ethics and trust while food crisis and under normal condition. What should be done to avoid panic among consumers and what should be done to protect the brand of the product. Another key issue is the role of the various participants of the market – producers, distributors, consumers as well as the food control institutions. Each food safety crisis result in big loss - what can be done to reduce these loss.