This could be the perfect plan. The Internal Revenue Service and the Food and Drug Administration switch jobs. The result could be highly scrutinized foods and drugs and little to no taxes. Perfect.
While wandering up and down the aisles of the grocery, wondering what I could make for dinner that didn’t contain a GM grain, steroid, pesticide or some other Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredient that could sicken or kill my family, I had a wonderful thought. What if the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would switch jobs. This could be the perfect solution.
Now just imagine, instead of the lowly 1% of foods and food ingredients currently inspected at ports of entry into the U.S. by the FDA, IRS agents take over. Foods and food ingredients coming into the U.S. would be treated like an audit. Every import, every document, every line of every document would be closely examined. Nothing would get by until everything was checked and double checked. If the paperwork was wrong or something tests incorrectly (the IRS will test EVERYTHING), ‘Get your product out of my Country and don’t come back until things are in order.’
IRS inspections of food and drug manufacturing plants would occur annually; larger manufacturing businesses would have to file quarterly inspection returns. Each food or drug manufacturer would hire a CPI – Certified Public Inspector that would be responsible for filing lengthy inspection returns detailing Good Manufacturing Practices, food or drug testing protocol and results. The company President would have to sign the inspection report and in turn he/she would be held accountable for any issues of food fraud (or drug fraud); facing prison should food fraud put the health of humans or animals at risk.
FDA warning letters would be replaced with IRS interest and penalties. Salmonella discovered in a food or food ingredient, penalty. Aflatoxin, penalty. Melamine, penalty. A company like ChemNutra, who admitted to knowingly importing melamine tainted vegetable proteins…well, everyone involved would be spending time in prison right now for ‘safe food evasion’.
A recall would be treated like tax fraud. IRS agents would swarm in on any company that dares to market a food or food ingredient that wasn’t previously and properly tested. The business would be shut down until it proves that the product is safe. The public would be promptly notified by the company of the recall and every retail outlet would race to pull the food or drug off store shelves out of fear of their own IRS audit/inspection. Oh, and more fines and penalties would be issued for recalls too.
On the flip side, with the FDA taking care of taxes, there would be no more lines at the post office at midnight on April 15. If you don’t file a return, don’t worry. It’ll take the FDA years to discover it, a few years later they will send you a warning letter. And if there is a real problem, you can petition the FDA to be excused from payment to which, a few more years later, they will probably agree with you (just make sure you bring several letters from accountants hired to say you pay your taxes).
The government wouldn’t have any money, but the people would have safe food and drugs.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author, Buyer Beware
Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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