Things that make me a tad bit upset

Coming out of the grocery store today, I noticed a warning on my receipt saying that I'd purchased in the past about 10 or so items that have all been recalled for potentional salmonella contamination. That doesn't do me any good since each item has long since been consumed.

And now I see that according to the FDA, the Ga. plant responsible for the tainted products knowingly shipped items contaminated with salmonella. And there's more

Problems at the plant are not new.

FDA inspectors also found in 2001 that products potentially were exposed to insecticides, one of several violations uncovered during the last visit federal officials made before the current food-poisoning scare, according to a report obtained by The Associated Press.

Of course, our top notch FDA regulators decided back in '01 to let the company fix the problems on its own. USDA workers also made visits to the plant, but they were "number crunchers" not trained in food safety inspection.

I agree with Thomas Frank. Better regulation, please.

And ditto this New York Times editorial

Consumers have faced far too many food-supply emergencies in the last few years. Some of the staples of the American diet — tomatoes, peppers, spinach, shrimp, to name a few — have caused illnesses and even deaths. The F.D.A., an important agency charged with protecting the food supply, was one of many hobbled by the Bush administration’s antiregulatory efforts.

President Obama has promised to do more to protect consumers. The White House and Congress need to work together to provide more resources and clout for the guardians of the food supply — and to demand more accountability.