Re: A typical example of government monopolistic inspection/regulation

From: Alfio Puglisi (puglisi@arcetri.astro.it)
Date: Wed Jul 10 2002 - 08:35:52 MDT


On Wed, 10 Jul 2002, Brian Atkins wrote:

>For Alfio! :-)
>
>This particular inspection system (food) has been seriously sloppy for
>many many years, yet it continues to not improve.
>
>--
>
>Report: Food inspections deficient
>Problems go by inept inspectors
>
>Elliot Jaspin - Cox Washington Bureau
>Wednesday, July 10, 2002
>
>
>Washington --- The federal government's new science-based system of food
>inspections is in disarray, according to a draft report prepared for Congress.
>
>The report by the General Accounting Office concluded that inadequately trained
>food inspectors are unable to spot problems at a majority of the nation's
>thousands of meat and poultry plants. GAO investigators also found that nearly
>all of the 47 plants that it sampled had food safety programs that ''failed to
>meet regulatory requirements.''
>

Here, at least, someone is watching the watchers and is concluding that
the watchers have not great eyesight (not counting the delay...)

>Despite these shortcomings, the report said, the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
>which oversees food safety, continued to allow plants to ship meat and poultry
>for consumption by the public, even though tests repeatedly found some were
>laced with either hazardous bacteria or feces.
>....

This is gross negligence. Europe departments were not better, anyway, as
plagues like BSE have shown the world.

Alfio



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