You should see the facilities our local slaughterhouse has reserved for the inspector. Parking, changing room, office, bath with shower...
For a guy who drops by every six months or so.
The system seems rigged.
It always amazes me that food producers would actually let things get so lax as to damage their amazing profit margins on processed foods. Are they not doing this for the profit? Are they not concerned with protecting their brand name and keeping contracts with store brand grocers?
Around here, it costs me eight freakin' bucks for a farm-raised roasting hen. I can buy a roaster for $2 at the local grocery store. Granted, the $8 one is "all natural" but I've yet to get sick from either, and none of my kids grew two heads or anything from eating a factory-farmed chicken versus a local one.
I guess it depends upon where one wants to draw the line. And I suppose the fact that I've never actually had food poisoning might be a factor in my thinking.
But this constant over-regulating of everything just jacks up prices for everyone down the line while lining the pockets of a few. It's insanity.
Even Upton Sinclair regretted writing "The Jungle" about the meat packing industry...after he nearly bankrupted the entire industry.
Radiation is so much more sensible, safer, cheaper, more effective.
If I had a choice I would buy irradiated hamburger/poultry everytime.