The Department of Agriculture is making a proposal that could ratchet up the pressure on processors, to ensure that the meat and poultry they sell isn’t contaminated with harmful bacteria.

Their suggestion, though, makes Philip Brasher of the Des Moines Register think about the impact it may have on meat producers. They want to start releasing the names of supermarkets where contaminated products have been sold to the public.

In Brasher’s opinion, consumers are going to have problems shopping at stores that might be on that list, and so it will naturally force meat processors to spend more time and attention on making sure that the product is safe for consumption.

More and more companies are becoming fully automated so that there is little to no human contact. By creating "case ready" products, not even stocking personnel at stores or even butchers would touch the meat until the consumer opens the package at home. This should decrease the likelihood of contamination along the way.