Consenting Adults

Peter Hoffman  , the chef at Savoy restaurant in NYC has written a very thought provoking article about cured meats.  Seems the FDA doesn’t believe that artisinal curing of meat is safe.  Now, I ask you, what is going to make you sleep better at night? Knowing that the bacon you just ate was produced by someone that has lovingly slaughtered his pig, painstakingly butchered and cured it or eating a slice of bacon produced  by a large, commercial, industrial FDA approved plant?  If you were ever lucky enough to have the opportunity to have that home cured pig…. go for it!  Take a look at Mark Ruhlman’s excellent blog, seems he was thinking along the same lines.
What about informed consent? Why can’t an artisinal producer inform me of the ‘risks’ of eating his product and I agree to it? What’s wrong with that? Apparently that sort of system is in place in the UK, this allows raw milk cheeses to be sold, and I would assume home cured meat products as well.