Issue: Health Care: Food Inspections - Now we got Botulism

[Razmear]

I just flipped on the morning local news, and guess what, those cans of hot dog chili that I picked up last week, and already ate one can yesterday have been recalled for Botulism!!!

I was also lucky enough to get the Salmonila peanut butter a while back, which was recalled after the bottle was almost empty.

So is anyone working to protect out food supply anymore or is all that money being wasted over in Iraq. I think our food supply needs to become a National Defense Issue at this point because a lot more folks are dieing from contaminated food than terrorists in this country!

This is one issue that we can not trust industry to self regulate on anymore.

eb

a link with one of my rants in the comments:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070719/NATIONWORLD/707190488/-1/LOCAL17

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Another reason why you shouldn't trust the FDA... shut it down!

[Brandybuck]

This is one issue that we can not trust industry to self regulate on anymore.
I think you're in the wrong campaign.

There is this law of the universe, which goes [paraphrased], "Shit Happens". It's something you need to learn and accept. Sometimes food gets contaminated. Sometimes automobile accidents happen. Sometimes terrorists kill people. We can try to minimiize these risks, but once we start trading in our liberty for a bit more security, we've gone too far.

I lived in a tiny town when a major fruit packing plant had an e.coli problem. Contaminated unpasteurized apple juice. I knew the people working there. It was not deliberate. Controls and inspections were in place to prevent such an occurance. But shit happens. It sounds cold and callous, but it is a fact that we must deal with.

We have the safest food in history. Instead of thinking your're going to die any minute from a lack of big government, think instead on how much better off you are from your ancestors.

[Razmear]

I think you're in the wrong campaign.



I know what campaign I'm in, and I'd appreciate it if you did not question my loyalty or intentions with snide innuendo.
You are not going to grow the Ron Paul Revolution by telling folks they are not welcome.

Yes, shit happens, but there have been more problems with the nations food supply in the past few years than I can recall in the past decades, and our food supply IS a National Security Issue

What is the best way to protect the food supply? I don't have an answer, but there is obviously something wrong with the current system when I wake up and flip on the morning news to find out that I've received and consumed my second tainted product in 6 months.

eb

[JosephTheLibertarian]

We can solve this problem by eliminating the FDA and holding individuals/businesses responsible for what they supply.

[freelance]

I'm getting real concerned too. In fact, I've eliminated most processed foods, except for a few condiments. Even that scares me, so I'm "holding" those items as well as meat, poultry and seafood for several months in case of a recall. I've always stockpiled foods, because I buy in bulk and combine sales and coupons...

Anyway, last night, Lou Dobbs did a segment on "country of origin labeling." It's the law--it has been the law for the past five years, but it's not enforced because of the lobbies. In fact, they're trying to get it overturned.

I also believe this is a national security issue. I will not buy anything (particularly food) that I know comes from China.

Maybe I'm paranoid, but it's my LIFE we're talking about here!

Besides, I do not agree with every word out of Ron Paul's mouth, just most of them.

[MozoVote]

Food inspection may be a case where an impartial government agency makes sense. Although it may not need to be a Federal one. For example, most states have weights and measures inspections for gasoline stations. And when a major brand vendor learns of tampering, they revoke that stations license to sell their brand.

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Food inspection may be a case where an impartial government agency makes sense. Although it may not need to be a Federal one. For example, most states have weights and measures inspections for gasoline stations. And when a major brand vendor learns of tampering, they revoke that stations license to sell their brand.

nah.. we could have private organizations start things up, I'm sure companies would work with them as they would be held LIABLE (as individuals) for indirectly poisoning people... well, in my world anyway lol only government that would be involved would be the courts.

[MozoVote]

Yeah, I know governement inspection of anything is a "camel's nose". They can't resist adding more and more of them later to protect the public.

Go browse a landlord forum like MrLandLord.com sometime for what it's like to own rentals in Massachusetts. Egads. I would just plain leave, if I had to put up with that much oversight.

[jblosser]

Food inspection may be a case where an impartial government agency makes sense. Although it may not need to be a Federal one. For example, most states have weights and measures inspections for gasoline stations. And when a major brand vendor learns of tampering, they revoke that stations license to sell their brand.

An impartial government agency is an oxymoron. When they have a monopoly on oversight and regulation (by force of arms), they are quickly subverted by special interests, and no one can do a thing about it. It doesn't matter if they don't fulfill their charter, because they are the only game in town and everyone has to play with them.

What we need is private certifications, in the style of Consumer Reports, Underwriters' Laboratories, etc. Places who actually have a reputation they have to care about. If Consumer Reports screws up, people stop using their services and they lose their jobs. When was the last time the FDA or USDA actually had to be accountable when they screwed up and people died?

Government's only role here should be in providing courts to resolve fraud and contract disputes, which is what prevents private groups from being able to go corrupt.

[PatriotOne]

We can solve this problem by eliminating the FDA and holding individuals/businesses responsible for what they supply.

Bingo!

[Razmear]

What we need is private certifications, in the style of Consumer Reports, Underwriters' Laboratories, etc

I'd agree with that 100%, and Underwriters Labs for food would be a great idea and their "seal of approval" would make companies more likely to comply than a potential fine from the fed.

Great thinking JB!

eb

[JosephTheLibertarian]

What we need is private certifications, in the style of Consumer Reports, Underwriters' Laboratories, etc

I'd agree with that 100%, and Underwriters Labs for food would be a great idea and their "seal of approval" would make companies more likely to comply than a potential fine from the fed.

Great thinking JB!

eb

Fines for what?

[Razmear]

Bump - similar topic started in news forum.

[Nathan Pannbacker]

I like the idea of private certifications for food safety. Similar things currently exist in, for instance, certifying food kosher or not. Big chain restaraunts also use their own certifications w/ higher standards than government ones. If the government agency weren't there food safety certifications would probably come about.