Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce an innovative communicative platform to be constructed to facilitate food hazard communications as new policy initiatives shift the direction of food safety management from reaction to prevention. Design/methodology/approach Literature from economics and management is examined for concepts that would yield potential solutions to accomplish the purpose. Findings An innovative synthesis of four interrelated structural elements resource, identity, standard, and knowledge is proposed as the framework for hazard communication. Practical implications Exchanges of food hazard knowledge and information among diverse stakeholders (consumers, suppliers, public agencies) in a complex environment requires an information architecture, a "knowledge warehouse," that explicitly organizes interactive elements in social networks to facilitate knowledge communication among those stakeholders. Social implications - Social networks facilitated by new communication technologies drive cooperation, consumer interactions, and improved coordination with more efficient regulatory intervention to assure food safety. Originality/value - Drawing upon the management literature and merging it with concepts from economics yields unique perspectives, creating value, and contributing to a more effective and efficient market-based food safety system.
