Who's advice would you take to improve food safety? The CEO of Kellog's?

[ColbertWatcher]

Today, while going through my hometown newstube, I discovered this brief piece (hiding in the "Business Briefs" section) about the CEO of Kellog's, David Mackay, dolling out his free advice on how best to improve food safety in America,

Kellogg CEO seeks revamp of U.S. food safety system
March 19, 2009

FOOD SAFETY

Kellogg CEO wants new rules

Kellogg Co.'s chief executive is urging lawmakers to revamp the nation's food safety system. The world's biggest cereal maker, whose brands include Frosted Flakes and Raisin Bran, lost $70 million in the recent salmonella outbreak after recalling 7 million cases of peanut butter crackers and cookies.

CEO David Mackay wants food safety placed under a new leader in the Health and Human Services Department. He also calls for new requirements that all food companies have written safety plans, that there be annual federal inspections of facilities that make high-risk foods and other reforms.

Mackay's endorsement of major changes could boost President Obama's efforts to overhaul the system.

"We believe the key is to focus on prevention, so that potential sources of contamination are identified and properly addressed before they become actual food safety problems," Mackay said in remarks prepared for a hearing today.

--Los Angeles Times

Aparently, the AP has a slightly longer version up (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jeLgwCG-FEEYH8KZ7Tt45zOdSIKgD970V11G0 ) in which Mr. Mackay bravely states that

"The recent outbreak illustrated that the U.S. food safety system must be strengthened ..."

Recent? Where the hell has this guy been the past 8 years?

[percussivemadness]

1. did you know, the systematic mutation of American males

commonly called circumcision, was put into place by Kellog himself out of bizarre religious and anti-masturbation beliefs?

"Covering the organs with a cage has been practiced with entire success. A remedy which is almost always successful in small boys is circumcision, especially when there is any degree of phimosis. The operation should be performed by a surgeon without administering an anæsthetic, as the brief pain attending the operation will have a salutary effect upon the mind, especially if it be connected with the idea of punishment, as it may well be in some cases. The soreness which continues for several weeks interrupts the practice, and if it had not previously become too firmly fixed, it may be forgotten and not resumed. If any attempt is made to watch the child, he should be so carefully surrounded by vigilance that he cannot possibly transgress without detection. If he is only partially watched, he soon learns to elude observation, and thus the effect is only to make him cunning in his vice. (p 295)

In females, the author has found the application of pure carbolic acid to the clitoris an excellent means of allaying the abnormal excitement, and preventing the recurrence of the practice in those whose will-power has become so weakened that the patient is unable to exercise entire self-control." - John Harvey Kellog

[Tashca]

2. Oh yes

I have no doubt Mr. Mackay sees the hand writing on the wall. I also have no doubt he would love to influence coming legislation. He is being proactive in his calling for a revamp of the system. I think the food companies are getting nervous....

[ColbertWatcher]

4. Proactive? I'd call it reactive since everyone else is at least a year ahead of thid guy.

I find it curious that the food industry expects to win in this.

After all, they're the ones who fought regulation and inspections.

[Tashca]

8. I'm saying proactive because

I'm sure he is aiming for industry to write or at least heavily influence future legislation. They will attempt to soften the blow.

I think the food industry is terrified of the possibilities right now with new legislation and they should be.

I believe the food industry is in full propaganda mode to protect their collective asses.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. Oh, okay.

I'm not trying to pick a fight or anything. I just think they're behind on this.

I know they'll try to regulate the regulators.

And you're right, propaganda is all they have left now.

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. BEcause THEY lost millions of dollars of product

NOT because it's a bad thing to make people sick.

DISGUSTING

[ColbertWatcher]

12. Exactly. And, I'm hoping everyone remembers this.

Not just in 2010 or 2012, but for generations.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. I don't see an issue here.

This isn't a conflict of interest, it's a case of mutual benefit.

""The recent outbreak illustrated that the U.S. food safety system must be strengthened ...""

Do you disagree?

[Mike 03]

7. Mutual benefit? Not for the consumer. NT

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Consumers don't benefit under improved food safety?

Seems to me they would.

[ColbertWatcher]

15. I think that just because someone SAYS they're for food safety ...

... doesn't necessarily mean that they really are for food safety, or for the level of food safety that you or I would consider appropriate.

Remember, just because someone claimed they didn't torture, doesn't mean they didn't torture.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. Yet here's this guy, calling for more food safety.

:shrug:

[ColbertWatcher]

18. Hey, Blagojevich called for an investigation into his activites too. n/t

[Dreamer Tatum]

10. Care to explain that?

Suppose they got the story wrong. Suppose it was "guy who works on factory floor" instead of "CEO."
That would PROBABLY cause you to see it differently, huh?

[ColbertWatcher]

13. I think it's disingenuous that an industry that fought food safety ...

... is now calling for food safety.

[Mike 03]

6. I agree these "authorities" are unreliable.

For years they have told us corn is nutritious, high fructose corn syrup is nothing unusual, that refined carbs are great for us...

I could go on and on.

I'm a little bit surprised that some of those folks responding to this thread don't seem to understand it. We had the same problem with the bogus "food pyramid" that had to be approved by the Dairy Farmers Commission, meat and agriculture lobbyists, and so forth.

Did you know you can pay to have the "U.S.D.A. Organic" symbol placed on your product?

You trust these people?

Good luck.

Kick and Rec.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. We will be cleaning up for generations what the GOP did under the Bush regime. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

17. Fuck Kelloggs

They won't grace my cabinets anymore after they pulled that holier-than-thou shit after Michael Phelps bong pic.
I hope their shit rots on the shelves.

[ColbertWatcher]

19. They have been doing quite a few dumbass things lately to get themselves in the news. n/t

[jmowreader]

20. Gotta love those $70 million wake-up calls

Isn't this like your big brother telling you not to drink because he woke up with a hangover?

[ColbertWatcher]

21. I wonder how much of that the corporation will be able to write off?

I wonder how long it will be before Kellogg's comes calling for a bailout?

I wonder if they pulled the Phelps thing so they could claim they "lost" more money?

[Nikia]

22. I think that it could be a place to start from anyway

People in the food industry are more likely to know more abouth the food industry than people outside of it. It is also in some companies intersts that certain food regulations be the same for everyone. That way they can have more trust in their ingredient suppliers. It also means that their competitors have to play by the same rules. People's budgets are tight and they might buy generic instead of name brand even if they prefer name brand. The name brand companies want to be sure that they aren't losing out to competition that is cheaper because they are cutting corners on food safety. Sure, his plan should be reviewed to make sure it benefits the consumer, but the CEO of Kellog's does have an interest in better food safety for the entire industry.

[ColbertWatcher]

23. Um ...

People in the food industry are more likely to know more abouth the food industry than people outside of it.

Not necessarily, plus, this is the CEO of a food company, not a person who does the work.

It is also in some companies intersts that certain food regulations be the same for everyone. That way they can have more trust in their ingredient suppliers. It also means that their competitors have to play by the same rules.

But, this is Kellogg's we're talking about. They're a business in the business to make money for their shareholders, not to make the playing field level for their competitors.

People's budgets are tight and they might buy generic instead of name brand even if they prefer name brand. The name brand companies want to be sure that they aren't losing out to competition that is cheaper because they are cutting corners on food safety.

Giant corporations like Kellogg's are in business to make money for their shareholders, they don't care why they cut corners as long as they keep making cash.

Sure, his plan should be reviewed to make sure it benefits the consumer, but the CEO of Kellog's does have an interest in better food safety for the entire industry.

There is no proof that the CEO of Kellogg's has an interest in food safety for his company or for the industry just because he says he does. Kellogg's is a business in the business to make money for their shareholders.

[Nikia]

26. Bigger companies have more resources to meet food regulations

They want to make it a financial hardship for smaller companies to meet food safety regulations. They want smaller companies to have to charge more to be profitable with their increased overhead of meeting regulations and possibly go out of business. They also want to be able to trust their ingredient suppliers without having to pay their people to travel to their suppliers and do inspections. For this reason, it is in the financial interests of large well known company to demand that other companies meet food safety regaltions. They are usually better at it anyway for various reasons.
I don't know the CEOs background. You could have a point. I am sure though that he did have help, though, from other people in the company who are very knowledgeable.

[ColbertWatcher]

27. It might not be a financial hardship for smaller companies to comply.

There may be government programs to help out.

Huge companies like Kellogg's really doesn't care how much something costs, as long as they don't have to spend it.

Kellogg's reputation has been hurt lately by the recalls and the Phelps PR disaster (that the company created) anything they do will be suspect.

If they were really serious about food safety, their food would never have been recalled in the first place. After all, not all peanut or peanut butter products were contaminated in the last scare, and not all cereal was pulled off the shelves, so someone was thinking about food safety.

It just wasn't Kellogg's.

[PerfectSage]

24. Who needs Kellog's when you you can pour wheat germ into a bowl of milk?

If I want a clean colon I can just take bentonite clay? Rather than rely on Kellog crap.

[GreenTea]

25. Doing this to get back the Phelps pot boycotters, catering they hope to the same people with

this new bullshit...Kellogg's is corporate republican shit.