An article from the Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California explains that members of the peanut industry are recognizing that new legislation is necessary in light of two massive Salmonella outbreaks in the past three years.
A lobbyist for the Western Peanut Growers Association says the industry wants to be part of fixing the problem. This is great, but should it be something new? The article also quotes a professor estimating the total cost of the outbreak at roughly a bilion dollars. Hmm, where have we heard that before?
No doubt that having an industry be involved in creating the legislation that regulates it makes great sense. It just makes more sense to be ahead of the curve, as opposed to reacting (slowly) to tragedy.