Protection from Produce

    Ever walk into a grocery store and have become exceedingly irate because they did not have the apples from a certain apple supplier?  I am believe that it is safe to say that not many consumers have ever felt this way about fruit or vegetables in a grocery store.  Nowadays consumers are noticeably aware of brands and labels of all types of material items such as clothing, sunglasses, shoes, computers, and phones.   So why is it that where our food comes from makes absolutely no difference to us as consumers?  I believe that like me, most consumers lay our trust in the government and grocery stores.  The FDA has regulations on steps that must be taken to ensure consumer safety.  Adding "Best-If-Used-By-" labels is an example of something that must be done.  Grocers also want to protect the name of their company by being sure that they purchase produce from a trust-worthy supplier.  If a grocery store was regularly known to supply consumers with faulty or unsafe produce then consumers would not want to buy from there and I would have to assume that the government would step in at some point.  When produce is first delivered to the grocery store, the person who is responsible for deliveries must also inspect all goods to be sure that the produce is up to the grocers standards.  In the event that the produce does not meet the standards then it must be rejected (this process is also used in restaurants as well).  Knowing these things helps the consumer feel safer about produce; along with being able to physically inspect the produce themselves.  There are consumers who prefer "organic" produce.  The government has also established standards that the producer must meet before they can be recognized and used in grocery stores.  Another step that has been taken is recalling produce that has been a known problem in certain areas.  The government will use media like local news stations and newspapers to get the word out that certain produce has been recalled in specific locations for a certain duration of time.  Grocers actively help do their part by stopping the sales and taking off the shelves the items in question to keep consumers safe.  In conclusion, our government takes consumer safety very seriously and something that may seem questionable like produce from random suppliers is really safer than we may think. 
*Here is a link to FDA important information for those involved in the sales of produce:  http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidancedocuments/produceandplanproducts/ucm064458.htm