[beasthacker]

I wonder whether government testing actually makes a material difference in food/beverage safety.

For example, when I worked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, I was surprised to discover that the percentage of imported food/beverage actually tested for safety is very low. Like comically, microscopically, unbelievably low.

In the United States, I suspect concerns over reputation and civil litigation do more to keep our food safe than government testing.

[angry_octet]

Funding for inspection agencies has been cut again and again, and likewise mandated lab testing, on the basis of industry self regulation and the low number of incidents in commercial production. Many sources will be even more rigorous than we could imagine.

I think that incidents elsewhere have often been caused by substituting expensive taxed industrial ethanol for cheap industrial methanol. Which is an insane thing to do but money is money.

Until another mass poisoning occurs we will continue trusting paperwork.