Why Not Safe Food?

The New York Times today editorializes in favor of country of origin food labeling, which has been defeated during the Bush years by industry lobbyists. With an increasing share of U.S. food coming from abroad and safety scares multiplying, labels informing consumers where those shrimp, steaks and veggies that they'll be throwing on the grill this afternoon seems like a no brainer.

Yet I wonder. What am I as a consumer supposed to do with this information? Tell me if the fish is farm-raised or wild caught. Tell me if the vegetables are grown organically or through heavy use of herbicides and pesticides. But do I really care where food comes from as long as it is safe?

This is another case where the power of industry has forced consumer advocates to seek a weak half-measure. Disclosure through labeling has been substituted for the real solution to the food safety problem, which is more Agriculture Department and Food and Drug Administration inspectors.

We need more cops on the beat to police our entire food supply, whether domestically produced or imported. Country of origin labeling does nothing more than allow consumers to substitute their own prejudices for meaningful enforcement. That's no protection at all.