However, the statement issued certainly makes me wonder about how the outbreak was reported, and I’m inclined to think there’s something odd about the sampling mechanisms used. I’d love to see the rebuttal on why it is “false information”.

As long as you comply with food safety regulations, your food can kill hundreds of people, and you will face no criminal repercussions. We do have a food safety problem in this country, and subjecting small-scale farmers and yogurt-makers to onerous new rules will not fix it. The vast majority of food deaths are caused by companies that are ALREADY INSPECTED by the FDA. Why do we think that we can make food safer by empowering the FDA to inspect the woman who sells vegetables are your local farmers’ market? (And why do you think that lobbyists for agribusiness, like the Grocery Manufacturers Association, are urging Congress to do just that? It’s no secret: http://www.gmabrands.com/news/docs/NewsRelease.cfm?DocID=1944 )

We can reduce death by food poisoning in the same way that we have reduced wrongful deaths for centuries: by criminal prosecution. If it is beyond a reasonable doubt that your negligence led directly to the death of another human being, then you should be a criminal. Why is it not so?

http://www.marlerblog.com/2009/12/articles/case-news/science-and-eggnog-raw-eggs-and-alcohol-can-a-favorite-holiday-drink-be-made-safe/

Sincerely,
Bryant Hudson
Norman, Oklahoma

When such broad and sweeping laws are proposed on a segment of the ag industry that is low risk, while high-risk and repeat offenders continue to escape without consequence, you will pardon us small growers for thinking that there’s a major power grab going on.

Write the regs to address the perpetrators and those who enable them to game the system. If you leave the small growers alone, they won’t “confuse” the political waters by trying to protect themselves from massive bureaucratic overreach.