I don’t care much for all the attention paid to food safety legislation. The stuff that food buyers, suppliers and service folks do every day goes far beyond the endless and mindless chatter about government.

So today, when I read that more than 100 food, agricultural, ranching and consumer groups have signed a letter being distributed to all U.S. Senators urging them to adopt amendments introduced by Montana Senator Jon Tester that would exempt small food processors from the expense and regulatory oversight required by the Food Safety and Modernization Act, I thought, yawn.

The letter says,

“All of the well-publicized incidents of contamination in recent years – whether in spinach, peppers, or peanuts – occurred in industrialized food supply chains that span national and even international boundaries.”

Except that spinach was transitional organic. So the grower was trying to cash in on a production system that has nothing to do with food safety.

“Farmers and processors who sell directly to consumers and end users have a direct relationship with their customers that ensures quality, safety, transparency and accountability.”

Just because I can shake your hand doesn’t mean I know you washed it before you lovingly put your poop-laden fingers all over that tomato you just picked.

Yew.

You serve food, in any form, make it microbiologically safe.