You're absolutely right; the USDA/FSIS should be doing a much better job policing the portion of the food supply under their jurisdiction. But they shouldn't have to do it alone.

*Congress needs to step up to give them more authority to put pressure on the meat and poultry industries.

*Industry needs to step up to take responsibility for producing safe food products and not just commodities.

*Consumers need to practice food safety and pay attention to recall announcements.

I'm not sure that a mandatory recall authority for FSIS will have much effect as I think only around 20% of recalled products are actually recovered. The meat industry needs to stop fighting the dissemination of product information when there is a public health issue; this is one of the most blatant examples of profits before people.

All concerned and affected parties need to step up to the plate (no pun intended) and take their responsibility their portion of food safety.