The Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company fiasco –– the largest meat recall in U.S. history –– most certainly has you worried. Let’s not even mention the fact that the last year and a half has been chock full of non–stop reminders of numerous food safety problems. Let’s see, there was:

• Topps Meat recalled 21.7 million pounds of ground beef after the meat tested positive for a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria. (Listen to our podcast here.)
• China offered up many food safety woes, including tainted pet food, toxic toothpaste and contaminated seafood.
  
• Several states have thought that it was a good idea to attempt to ban producers from advertising that their milk was hormone–free.
  
• And to top it all off, FDA ruled that cloned meat is safe to eat and could be sold without special labeling.
  

It's no wonder we want to know more about the derivation of our food.

Of course this bad news has us worried. In 2007, the Food Marketing Institute, a trade group of food retailers and wholesalers, reported that the number of shoppers confident that food at the grocery store was safe had dropped to 66 percent from 82 percent the previous year. (Just 43 percent were confident about getting safe food at restaurants.) In a GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media survey taken in November, only 50 percent of respondents said they were confident that there were adequate food safety regulations in place.

So, what are you waiting for? Take your food safety questions to USDA’s very own Karen. We’re certain that she’ll be just as helpful as the other USDA officials.

But seriously folks, it’s a sad state of affairs when The Washington Post runs headlines like “New Food Inspector: YOU”, but it’s not too far from the truth. Feel better about your food. Peruse our food safety articles.  And be sure to use the Eat Well Guide to find safe meat in your area and support local farmers. You too can become the New Oxford American Dictionary’s 2007 word of the year –– "locavore," a term for a person who seeks out locally produced food.