Couldn't forget about this story about the worthiness of allegedly independent inspections being done by food companies.
The fox guarding the henhouse is the most appropriate allegory to describe this tragic scenario, but even if the fox were in charge, the chickens would be healthier (until they meet their end via the fox).
Relying on private sector auditors on paper is a bad idea, but the story goes into more detail about conflicts of interest.
Or as David Acheson, former assistant commissioner for food protection at the FDA under George W. Bush, puts it: "It's a business strategy, not a public-health strategy."
If you are looking for a really scary paragraph (and Halloween is soon upon us):
In fact, most foodmakers, even those with problems, sail through their inspections, said Mansour Samadpour, who owns a food-testing firm that does not perform audits. "I have not seen a single company that has had an outbreak or recall that didn't have a series of audits with really high scores," he said.
Audits aren't helpful if they don't catch what needs to be caught to not have serious problems.
The article also notes two other disturbing trends. Food companies often choose auditors based on price, and the beauty of hiring the fox, er, auditor is that since you know when the inspection will be, you can prepare accordingly. Reminds you a bit of the inspection that Greg Kinnear's character gets in "Fast Food Nation."
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