If you were watching any of the exciting college basketball games during the recent NCAA tournament, you most likely saw the Southwest Airline commercial about their Rapid Rewards program. It shows air travelers being tied up in red tape or being chased through the airport by a giant ball of red tape. Southwest promises that their Rapid Rewards program has no red tape.

This is a claim that the USDA and the FDA cannot make about their systems for protecting the American public from food contamination. Despite saying food safety is a top priority, the Obama administration has been slow to make any meaningful improvements in regulations that govern food safety. This is primarily because the job of protecting our food supply has been divided between several federal agencies none of whom are good about talking to each other or coordinating any of their efforts.

Food safety is the No. 1 concern of consumers, according to research by the Center for Food Integrity. It is also one of the top concerns of farmers and food processors. This concern has been heightened in the past few years by the many food recalls, both large and small, which have made headlines with regularity. According to the Center for Disease Control, one out of six Americans get sick from a foodborne illness each year. The increase of these recalls is not a sign the problem is getting worse, but rather that the inspection and testing procedures are working to keep out food safe. Unfortunately, many loopholes still remain.

One of those loopholes is starting to be closed by USDA. Recently USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a mandatory test and hold regulation for all meat and egg products. Under this rule, processors must hold a product after a sample test has been taken until the test results are back. While this seems like only a bit of common sense, you would be surprised to learn that until now many processors went ahead and shipped products into the food supply before the tests were back.

While a few large processors, like Tyson have voluntarily instituted a test and hold procedure, many smaller processors have not. Vilsack admitted to reporters the USDA does not know who these fools are or even how many were not voluntarily using a test and hold plan.

USDA officials admitted that, if this plan had been implemented two years ago, more than 44 food recalls would have been avoided.

While this is a good move by USDA, it will take 90-120 days to implement the rule. Thus, a test and hold requirement will not go into effect for another three or four months. While no illnesses have been reported, this shows just how far our government has yet to go to have an effective food safety net.

What is even more disturbing is that the USDA rule only covers meat. All other products are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA does not have a test and hold procedure, although they are supposedly studying the idea. A recent incident shows how badly improved testing and tracking is needed for fruit, vegetables, and other perishable crops.

On Feb. 16, the Thomas Produce Co. of Boca Raton, Fla. shipped 350 cases of green peppers to distributers in the East and Midwest. The FDA tested samples from this shipment and discovered possible salmonella contamination. However, the company was not notified until March 16, and the media was not informed until end of March. While the company issued a voluntary recall, by this time the peppers had been processed or sold to the public and most likely consumed.

There has been talk of creating a separate government agency that would govern all food-related activities. While this Department of Food concept could bring some efficiency and coordination to food safety regulations, I am skeptical if it would really solve the problem. Just look at the Department of Homeland Security. While it has made traveling by air a much bigger hassle and at times personally degrading, I am not sure it has really made us all that much safer. What is needed is for the government agencies that regulate food to get on the same page and get on the stick.

Protecting our food supply is not particularly difficult or expensive. For the most part, food processors, retailers, and farmers are supportive of improving food safety. The USDA, FDA and the rest of the alphabet soup of agencies that regulate food need to get serious about food safety and quickly put procedures into action that actually keep tainted food from getting onto the food supply. Red tape, politics, and bureaucracy should not stand in the way of making sure we have a safe food supply.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Gary Truitt may write to him in care of this publication.