Maybe if we were not under the illusion that the government was certifying the safety of ground beef, nearly 20 people in Colorado would not have gotten sick. When government assures people that it is looking after something, it invariably lulls them into believing that they need not look after it themselves. Everyone sees the USDA seal on meat packages. The upshot is that if government presumes to keep our food safe, we will be less vigilant and therefore less safe. Only that there should be no government inspection.
Competition is the best protector of consumers.
The perverse result of government inspection is that it removes safety as a factor of competition. If all companies are subject to the same government safety certification, they will not regard it as worthwhile to compete on the basis of safety. Minimum standards will tend to become maximums. Compliance with government standards will be a defense against lawsuits. In general, the government monopoly on certification neutralizes safety as a competitive issue.