Food inspection system in dire need of overhaul

[flashl]

Mercury News Editorial
06/23/2008

If the tomato salmonella outbreak didn't make you nervous about the food you buy, this should: The Centers for Disease Control estimates that for every salmonella case it receives, 38 are not brought to the attention of doctors.

The federal government needs to overhaul its system for inspecting and regulating the food supply. Consumers should demand it. The first step? Consolidating the food-safety system under one roof.

It's ridiculous that the Food and Drug Administration regulates the safety of 80 percent of the food supply but receives just over 20 percent of the money Congress appropriates to do the job. The Department of Agriculture gets most of the money but only regulates meat, eggs and poultry.

The USDA should get out of safety regulation. Its primary mission is promoting agriculture. Trying to monitor it as well creates an obvious conflict of interest.

We aren't the first to suggest that one agency should govern food safety. The National Academy of Sciences made the recommendation 10 years ago. The Government Accountability Office has labeled the current system "high risk."

The FDA is partially to blame for the lack of action. The agency has yet to implement 27 of the 34 recommendations to improve food safety sought by the GAO in 2004.

The food industry also shares the blame, fearing that tougher regulations may result in higher costs. Here's a news flash: The latest salmonella outbreak will cost the tomato industry

Mercury News

[LiberalFighter]

1. First two major steps are elect a Democratic President and replace the FDA commissioner

[cap]

2. we should not import fruits and vegetables that are meant to be eaten

raw and unpeeled. We are getting food from 3rd World countries that we are advised not to eat when we travel there.

It's not illegal aliens not washing their hands. It's importing food that we don't eat when we travel.

[flashl]

3. Old concept for healthy living: regional eating, eat from the ground where you live. nt

[cap]

4. yup... become a locavore...

eat seasonally...

you can be amazed at how much better food tastes. In the winter,eat root vegetables. Rutabagas, parsnips and turnips in a Romertoff are really good.

You can't eat the food from these countries even if grown on a factory farm because it's the water supply in these countries that's contaminated. None of these 3rd world factory farms are going to set up their own water treatment facilities or control for runoff from other farms.