Current Event 2 (3rd Quarter)

• The recent case of salmonella-infected peanut products has now become known for being deliberately placed in stores, even with the salmonella tests showing up negative. The fact that the Peanut Corporation of America would knowingly put out salmonella-tainted products in order to keep making money and stay in business shows that the economy has really got to people. Now the government needs to gets its act together to put tougher restrictions on food suppliers so that the selling of known tainted products can become impossible and dangerous for these companies.

• This Washington Post article gives one editors opinion on how the government can go about its business of protecting America’s food supply. Already nine people have died and 637 have been infected by the illness. However, there is some proposed legislation from various representatives that would safeguard the future from contaminated foods. The combination of bills from Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut), John D. Dingell (D-Michigan), and Diana DeGette (D-Colorado) would together allow a system of checks against future food problems. These bills would create the requirement for hazard tests to be reported, mandate the use of certified labs with results sent in, and make contaminated foods mandatorily recalled. If these bills are passed future generations would rest easy knowing that their foods are good, clean, and safe to eat. Currently there is no real system in the United States providing for the certification of the safe distribution of foods and thus, contaminated tests are not required to be turned in to the government. In older times, people wouldn’t even think of selling tainted foods to the public, but as times have gotten tough, people have gotten greedier, which leads to today’s salmonella crisis.