Am I More Diabolical Than the Terrorists?

Posted on July 9, 2007
by Maureen Keene

With each new account of dangerous products coming from China, I can’t help but think, if I were a terrorist, I would be setting up shop in China right now with a plan to rid the world of infidels by their own constantly consuming hand.

The popular assumption seems to be that Chinese businesses are cutting corners on quality and safety in the name of making a buck (and that counterfeit goods are business as usual in China). But how difficult would it be for groups with a more nefarious goal to set up shop in China and start doing more widespread harm? If the terrorists didn’t have a light bulb go on over their heads after tens of thousands of pets dropped dead, then they’re much less inventive than I thought.

The threat of bioterrorism seemed more pressing and got more attention shortly after the 9/11 attacks, however the evidence is mounting daily that the need to overhaul our food safety system is urgent. The Boston Globe reported that David Kessler, who headed the FDA from 1990 to 1997, had the following to say to the House Oversight Committee in May:

”Simply put, our food-safety system is broken… The reality is that there is currently no mandate, no leadership, no resources, nor scientific research base for prevention of food-safety problems.”

While I despise the fear mongering of our current administration, global jihadism is all too real. But instead of allowing the government to use it as a tool to strip Americans of our constitutional freedoms, we have the responsibility to be aware of the dangers and urge our representatives in government to take measures to improve our safety net and stay a step ahead of those who wish to do us harm. Do we have to wait until there is a catastrophic incident before we take action? As Hurricane Katrina shined a harsh light on the gutted and inept FEMA and cost lives and untold billions of dollars, so would a mass food poisoning event expose how ineffectual our food safety programs have become in today’s globalized food supply chain.

And to answer my own question, no, I am not more diabolical than the terrorists. And I am not the only one who is concerned that an attack on the U.S. food supply is a serious threat. According to the New York Times:

Tommy G. Thompson, the former secretary of health and human services, expressed deep concern about the nation’s food supply when he resigned, for unrelated reasons, in December 2004.

“For the life of me I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do,” said Mr. Thompson, who is a member of the Coalition for a Stronger F.D.A., a lobby group in Washington, and is running for president. He said he worried “every single night” about threats to the food supply.

Improvements in our food safety system are long overdue and are urgently needed to protect us from accidental or intentional food contamination. In addition, our government taking a tougher position will force the Chinese government to tighten is safety systems, which is essential if we are to live with peace of mind as more and more of our food comes from China.

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