Issue #3: Safe to Eat?

This issue was about how in the last few years, there has been a huge outbreak in food-borne illnesses (E. coli being the most prominent). These illnesses have mainly been from fruits and vegetables, they caused hundreds to get sick and even caused some deaths. It is a good thing that we are trying to eat fresh produce- trying to eat healthy is always a plus- however, when you have to worry whether your fruit is safe to eat, that's when problems arise. Right now, fruit and vegetables are regulated/inspected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so compared to meat, they don't have as strick of regulations (meat is regulated by the Department of Agriculture). Also considering the facts that fruits and vegetables are often eaten raw (so you don't cook off the bacteria) and that most of our fresh produce comes from the same place and goes through the same processing- therefore a large amount of produce can get contaminated and infect a large number of people, many people are considering whether to inforce new safety regulations concerning fresh produce. Supporters of this new idea say that there are too few inspectors and that something needs to be done, such as more funding for the FDA or another food-regulatory body. Opposers say all people (government included) who are related to the food illnesses/ outbreaks have responded the best they can to all of the problems. They also say that if more regulations are put in place, it will only increase the amount we have to pay for fresh produce which would lead to people eating more unhealthy because they won't want to pay for the expensive produce.

I think I'm going to be a fence rider on this situation. I can see how and why people think we could use new or upgraded regulations on fresh produce due to all of the bacteria/ food borne illnesses that have been caused recently by them, however I also see the side opposing the idea of new or greater regulations. I think it would be wonderful to feel more confident about buying fresh produce- not having to worry about it getting you seriously sick, however I would not enjoy paying more for the fruits and vegetables. I guess I would probably go more on the side of going with the new regulations just because even if I have to pay more, it might be worth it to know that it is less likely I will get food poisoning. Also, I don't really agree with the opposers saying that the government, growers, distributers, etc. have responed that well. Yes, they sent out the word and recalled the food, and yes they probably had inspectors come to figure out how the food got contaminated, but as far as I'm aware, they did not majorly change anything to prevent this anymore. So I'm still a fence rider, but leaning more towards supporting new regulations. The following link explains how the USDA is helping the FDA create new regulations: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm185278.htm

Issue #1

Issue #2