Abstract
Unpacking the historical trajectory of the ‘food safety’ narrative in the UK is critical to uncover the interactions and power dynamics between business and political agendas, media influences, and legislation on public matters. In this paper, we report on the adoption of an interdisciplinary approach to conduct a pilot study examining ‘hidden’ relationships underpinning the narrative of ‘food safety’ since 1850. The study focuses on mapping key regulatory milestones and changes to surface the evolution of the narrative and demonstrating how regulation is central to public food discourses and can influence and be influenced by business behaviours. Mapping the evolution of this narrative is fundamental to understanding the potential unintended and detrimental environmental and social consequences of regulation.