Margasak contends that, largely as a result of pressure from lobbyists and business interests, our regulatory agencies have not implemented adequate policies and procedures to protect the American food supply from contamination (natural or bioterrorist). Also see the NewsTrust posting about the tainted jalapeno discovery in Minnesota and how their sophisticated system enabled them to identify the source of the Salmonella very quickly. http://www.newstrust.net/webx?14@@.1065e9fa

The story is not well sourced, but does show a federal agency's proposals again being watered-down by the administration to produce a less than effective package of reforms. This time the target was the FDA, and if food industry groups want their products to receive widespread approval they must cooperate in some future legislation that tracks food from the field to the family table. Perhaps, after this latest scare (salmonella Saintpaul in jalapeno peppers), they will accept that and shoulder the cost without whining.

Though the story mentions the regulations in question as part of a homeland security bioterrorism push, it doesn't explore that aspect. Nor does it point out earlier widespread problems with food safety such as last summer's spinach scare that sickened and killed at least as many people and hurt the industry as much as this one. However, within the scope of this year's killer tomato attack, it's a competent piece. And, if industry groups were the only ones bitten by their own short-sightedness, I'd say payback is a bitch. Unfortunately, a lot of ordinary consumers paid for this too.