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.
...and the other side of the coin is, the inspectors are now treated like royalty.
Some guy in CA (I think) actually went off the deep end, and shot one a couple of years ago.
I am surprised that it doesn't happen more often, frankly.
"WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2000-U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General Roger Viadero announced today that Stuart Alexander of San Leandro, Calif., was indicted Sept. 19 by a grand jury in Alameda County, Calif., for the murder of two USDA employees and one State of California employee, as well as the attempted murder of another State of California employee. Arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 12.
The indictment alleged that, on June 21, 2000, Alexander used a handgun to murder USDA Compliance Officers Jeannie Hillery and Tom Quadros, and California Senior Investigator Bill Shaline, and that he used a handgun in order to attempt to murder another individual. The indictment further alleged that these murders were in retaliation for or to prevent the government employees from performing their official duties. "