Problems plague Georgia's food safety system

A report by Alan Judd of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reveals that the food safety system overseen by Georgia's Agriculture Department is riddled with problems. Only after a fatal outbreak of salmonella was tracked to a Georgia peanut processing plant did the Agriculture Department develop guidelines for inspecting such plants. "The lax oversight of Peanut Corp.’s factory typifies how the state regulates all 27 peanut processors in Georgia," according to the investigation. "When they find violations, inspectors frequently fail to document whether plants correct the deficiencies." Many inspectors employed by the Agriculture Department have no experience in food safety.