Food safety a yawner for the U.K. consumer

It's too bad we don't have a mirror poll for the U.S., but this story about a survey in the U.K about consumer concerns finds that food safety ranks low on their list of top worries.
From the story in Food Production Daily:

Food safety ranked 13th in the list of issues consumers cited as among their top concerns in the annual survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The survey helps the FSA set its priorities and focus its resources. Just under one in ten UK respondents, or nine per cent 9%) mentioning food safety as one of their top three issues of concern.

TK: The survey said 60% of consumers, when asked directly, said they were concerned about food safety issues. But crime terrorism and health services topped the list of worries. This survey does show a nice increase in consumer confidence in the U.K.'s FSA since 2000. I would speculate a poll surveying consumer confidence in the U.S. FDA would reflect the opposite trend here over the past year.

LA produce vendors face investigation

That's the word from the The Los Angeles Times, which reports here about the action related to public health inspections.
From the story:

The county department of public health mandated 63 closures of downtown wholesale produce vendors after an investigation by KNBC-TV revealed unsanitary conditions, vermin and lax regulation at the market housing the vendors, officials said this week. County health officials filed 25 reports of investigation in support of criminal complaints with the city attorney, including one against the firm that operates the Seventh Street Produce Market. Seven more reports will be filed by March 9, according to a public health document. The department also is drafting an ordinance that would require owners of wholesale produce facilities to have public health licenses

USDA again puts off APHIS fee for Canadian imports

Reaction to the USDA's further delay in the controversial APHIS inspection fees for Canadian fruit and vegetable imports indicate it won't get any easier when the agency finally pulls the trigger. Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., chair of the House rules committee, favors eliminating the fee.

The fees were first set to go into effect in November, but then pushback from Canada moved the date to January, then March. This Federal Register notice explains why the effective date was moved from March 1 to June 1.:

We are making this change to allow additional time for us to conclude discussions with the Government of Canada regarding risks, inspections, and costs associated with land-border traffic entering the United States from Canada.

TK: Three delays and counting. Given that track record, I can't see this fee happening as planned in June, either.