When Maria Lopez cut her finger on a meat saw at the Hormel plant, because they had sped up the production line, they kept the line running dripping her blood into the food.

The higher production speed causes accidents and contamination, but the companies have bought the support of the US government to allow them to replace government inspection with their own half-hearted inspection. To trust these companies to inspect themselves is to invite them to cut corners on safety — for their workers and for their customers.