Towards new “digital insights.” The value of Open Data for food information in Europe

In the food sector, the massive plethora of data made available by the so-called Open Data has been gradually - but radically - altering the relations among institutions, industry and the public. Thanks to the opening up of knowledge possessed by the public sector, the consumer-citizen is becoming empowered in making better informed and personalized decisions, proactively oriented towards his personal interests and needs. In light of this scenario, the goal of this essay is to consider the normative and social aspects related to the use of Open Data in the food sector, with an emphasis on both its relationship with European food law and the role this new ‘digital insight’ might play in generating trustworthy interactions between institutional authorities and citizens.