Originally Posted by
gosmsgo
If you have now changed your assertion the USDA does not inspect plants to the fact that the USDA does not have 1 inspector per 1 plant worker than you are correct.
Of course not everything that happens in a processing plant is being watched and it would be impossible to do so.
If I implied that the USDA inspects no meat plants, that was an error and I apologize. I think I said that they do an inadequate job, and that they often rely on self-inspections by the meat industry. I stand by that statement.
Personally, I think the best bet is to do your own inspections when possible, by buying meat from local farms that you can ride out to and visit. Obviously this isn't always possible, so we rely on the USDA to inspect meat for us. But they have been falling short lately, as demonstrated by the many recalls and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and deaths.
The volume of meat (especially poultry and pork) consumed in the US has increased enormously in the last several years. Do you honestly think the USDA is keeping up with this increase?