The 1990s were marked by a series of food safety crises in Europe, including the BSE (mad cow) crisis, the dioxin contamination of animal feed in Belgium (1999), and the E. coli outbreak in Scotland (1996). These crises led to a loss of consumer confidence in the food industry and prompted the creation of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2002. They also highlighted the need for a more integrated approach to food safety in the EU.

The European food safety crises of the 1990s were major news events that inspired a wave of social commentary and creative writing. Poets and writers explored the ethical and environmental dimensions of the crises, raising questions about the sustainability of industrial agriculture. The incidents also contributed to the growing popularity of organic and locally sourced foods, a theme that has been explored in literature.