An Appeal for Food Safety

Who ever would have thought a tomato could get the President talking?
 
In just a few short days after a widespread outbreak of salmonella in raw tomatoes, the Bush Administration is now pushing for extra funds to help improve the nation’s food supply. To be exact: An additional $275 million would be added to the Food and Drug Administration's budget.
 
The extra cash means the FDA would be able to open offices in China, India and Central America, therefore leading to a more thorough inspection of food and medical products coming into the United States. Added safety precautions include a 15% growth in the workforce to monitor the food stocks.

This news comes during what is hopefully the end of salmonella outbreak that has affected at least 17. Late Tuesday afternoon, officials announced they may soon be lifting a ban on Florida’s more than $40 million worth of tomato crops, an industry that will experience a “complete collapse” if it does not see some relief soon. The source of the outbreak has yet to be traced.
 
Do you think that having more staff to regulate the food source is the answer, or will this just add more levels of bureocracy to a system that has already failed us?  [New York Times]