How Political Is Food Safety?

A recent article stated that 98% of Americans do not trust the federal government to enforce laws that protect Americans from dangerous foods. With Decision 2008 around the corner, a question arises: “How will food safety regulation affect Americans political decisions?”

With over 76,000,000 food-borne illnesses reported last year alone, the American public is slowly losing faith in government agencies that regulate both imported and domestic food. And rightfully so. While new standards have been put in place in states such as California, there is no one to actually enforce or inspect our nation’s produce.

Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, stated yesterday that this issue is “something for us to be very, very concerned about.” The American public needs to put pressure on their representatives to fight the issue full speed in 2008. If we do not demand proper food safety inspections and hold government agencies responsible for enforcement of new standards, we are guilty of indifference.

“Food safety has always been important and the recent headlines only support what has been the case for years,” states Joy Sisson of www.learn2serve.com. “Hopefully, the American public will realize how powerful their voices can be in creating new standards and safeguarding the food they eat everyday.”