It’s hard to believe that with all the recent deaths and illnesses related to ground beef tainted with E. coli and to peanut butter products, not to mention last year’s tomato scares, that laws regarding food safety haven’t been updated in 70 years.

But it seems that sometimes a tragedy is what it takes to kick the government into action.

Recently, Daniel Clayton, president of the Tennessee Association for Justice, praised President Obama for taking a look at the issue.

“I hope they will bring these laws up to date,” Mr. Clayton said in a news release. “The fines in place now are less than a slap on the wrist.”

TAJ recommends a two-pronged approach to changing food safety laws.

“They need to have stronger enforcement and they must fine violators larger amounts than they do today, to make sure these companies are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”

In a recent weekly address, the president said the Food and Drug Administration has lacked sufficient funds in recent years to inspect the country’s 150,000 food processing plants and warehouses. He explained that the FDA has had the resources to examine just 7,000 of them. Maybe that’s the problem. Think? Oh, and there’s this, too. Mr. Obama said that he’s closing loops to ensure sick cows don’t get into our food chain. Now how long has mad cow been a scare in the United States? And someone’s just now stepping up to close the holes? Wow.