A forgotten element of the right to adequate food: redressing the normative gap regarding consumer acceptability

Abstract The acceptability of food to the individual consumer has been recognized by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as a core component of the right to adequate food under Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Consumer acceptability is critical for those who are vulnerable on account of their total dependence on the state for food provision, including prisoners, hospital patients, and school children. Yet, despite its significance, consumer acceptability is, at present, a largely forgotten element of the right to adequate food. This article seeks to redress the current normative gap by examining how consumer acceptability should be understood and realized. The article concludes by offering practical measures to be taken at the international and domestic levels to solidify consumer acceptability as a core component of the right to adequate food, respecting the individual as a rights-holder with distinctive values.