pistachio ii.

so far, there have been no reports of people being sickened by the pistachios. the blanket warning not to eat them was the first issued without any illness.

apparently, the obama administration is taking a "tough stance on safety." i have yet to see any proof of that notion, but here's what the nytimes reported:

As the nation’s second-largest processor of pistachios agreed Monday to recall its entire 2008 crop despite no confirmed illnesses, the Obama administration issued a tough warning to all food makers that sloppy manufacturing practices would no longer be tolerated. With the warning, the administration signaled that it was substantially changing the way the government oversees food safety. Food-handling practices that in the past would have resulted in mild warnings may now lead to wide-ranging and expensive recalls, even before anyone becomes ill from contaminated food. “The food industry needs to be on notice that F.D.A. is going to be much more proactive and move things far faster,” said Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at the Food and Drug Administration. “We’re going to try to stop people from getting sick in the first place, as opposed to waiting until we have illness and death before we take action.”

i hope that america starts behaving like the first world nation it is and creates policies that protect us from ourselves. like labor laws.