Free market v. Government mandate

The age old debate between the sufficiency of the free market and the necessity of government regulation is reset in this column about food safety passed on by The Packer's Susie Cable. The libertine position that the market will create its own safeguards seems to run counter to common sense, but economist Edward Lotterman points out that marketers are hiring their own third party inspectors irregardless of assumed government oversight. Theory aside, the government is going to be more involved in fresh produce safety, and soon.