It sure does get tedious to say, “wash the outside of the melon.” Everybody looks and you and wonders if you’ve flipped, but you know better. Melons, especially cantaloupes, have a little bit of a history with salmonella. Yes, it’s been traced to the outside skin and rind and with proper scrubbing even when there is no known outbreak, you might be safe.

Food safety–that’s a duplicitous expression. We expect our food to be safe. We want to believe that the fresh food we buy has been purchased from a safe facility and that prepared food has gone through the proper handling and  proper care in packaging. Yet we are continually bombarded by bleak news. Peanut butter was the most mystifying. Tons of violations at one plant became a nationwide recall of a food staple.  Last week it was alfalfa sprouts–not the first time those crunchy little guys caused a problem.

Well, today we heard the President say he was creating a special advisory group to oversee the whole issue of food safety. This, mind you, was after he appointed a new head at the FDA, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, who actually is a bioterrorism expert with extensive familiarity in dealing with pandemic flu possibilities.

Hello, what about me the grocery shopper? The advisory group is going to look out for us. They’re the back-up team that’ll  be in place to make certain that processes are in place and that science matches logic.  I want to know that my food is safe. That it actually has passed inspection and not just magically appeared on the shelf.

It’s about salmonella, e-coli, and all the other possible foodborne illnesses that could occur. Let’s pay attention and be tough. Close down plants that sneak past inspectors. No halfway points. All or nothing.

Let’s take the worry off the dinner plate and enjoy ourselves. I am encouraged that a proactive step has been taken. Let’s make sure it produces results.

I’m watching.