Private food quality and safety standards are emerging as "the" language of the food industry. The Brazilian market is experiencing the decline of the CEASAs, or Wholesale Produce Markets, and the expansion of supermarkets, including in the distribution of fresh produce. This growth is interpreted by the New Institutional Economy as the efficiency of private quality systems as compared to the purportedly inefficient public systems. Based on the political and cultural approach of the New Economic Sociology (NES), the article challenges the evidential nature of the institutions' efficiency, as well as the definition of quality and safety as neutral concepts. Based on the NES approach, these concepts can be seen as cultural constructs.
wholesale produce markets; supermarkets; safety and quality standards; new economic sociology; fresh produce