Minnesota Farmers Union

(April 3, 2009) - The recent salmonella outbreak traced to a Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) plant, last year's e. coli outbreaks in fresh vegetables, and numerous meat recalls have underlined the need for an improved food inspection system in the US. To remedy the problems individuals from Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack have called for the establishment of a single food inspection agency to replace the fragmented system that presently exists.

We have seen what can happen when the system breaks down and tainted product reaches the marketplace. Demand for peanut butter fell following news of the problems at the PCA plant. This spring peanut farmers are left wondering if demand will recover sufficiently for it to be worth their while to plant peanuts this year. Before one of last year's e. coli outbreaks was finally traced to Mexican-grown raw peppers, acre upon acre of California tomatoes went unpicked as consumers reduced their purchases of fresh tomatoes.

Even worse than the economic impact on producers is the death and illness attributable to tainted food.