The core assumption seems to be that the private sector is corrupt, and the public sector isn't, so we can fix things by simply having the government be the watchdog at every level. There's the bow, all nice and neat.

The reality is far more complicated than this.

Despite the leftist's view that private companies are just itching to poison and kill their customers to make a few extra bucks, there is a real incentive for a company to, say, not get a reputation for having botulism in their product. The peanut company that got careless with salmonella filed for Chapter 7 in February. The Bon Vivant soup company survived their botulism incident by about a month. Not a lot of profit in a boarded-up factory.

Also, government regulating agencies have the usual problems of a monopoly, and the usual bureaucratic goals of increasing the size and scope of their turf. Perfection is as impossible as it is for any human agency, and it's not uncommon for them to end up in bed with the industries they're supposed to be regulating. Can I point out that there were many regulatory agencies already in place for the mortgage and financial industries? Remember where the political donations were coming from, and who they were going to?

Government safety regulation, by and large, works pretty well. I'm happier with the FDA than I would be with nothing at all, but it's not the only way to do things.

A possible private solution might be a network of competing "consumer reports" type companies that would do testing and watchdog work, giving a seal of approval to a product in return for a fee.

The potential for problems is obvious, and competition between multiple inspection companies would be critical to prevent corruption. With competing comanies, an agency could gain "market share" by proving that a competitor was cutting corners or taking bribes. Since just one proven case of corruption would have the other companies going for the throat, the incentive is pretty high to stay honest. Who watches the watchmen? Other watchmen who will make more money if they can show someone else in their field is crooked.

Customers would look for the seals (like Underwriters Laboratory) as evidence of product quality. Some producers would try to gain an edge by getting certified by more than one reliable inspection company. The key is cutthroat competition in the watchdogs where you make the most money by having a reputation for the most integrity.

Not a perfect answer, but maybe part of it.