Posted: May 26th, 2009 - 10:47am
Source: Link

You’d think that the recent rise in the number of sometimes deadly food-borne illnesses would prompt manufacturers of processed foods and federal agencies to do all in their power to enhance public safety. Not so.
In the case of the food companies, at least, they’re shirking the responsibility. Rather than boost efforts to prevent pathogens, they’re conceding they can’t guarantee the safety of processed foods and telling consumers that they’re responsible for making sure the food they consume is safe to eat. That’s a bad idea.
If corporations with large staffs, big budgets and access to the latest scientific information and equipment can’t identify what causes food-borne illness, then consumers are unlikely to be able to do so. It is, for those who remember their high school Latin, a particularly egregious and dangerous case of “caveat emptor” — let the buyer beware.