...may be the best way to make sure the food you buy is safe. As Kansas State University Professor and International Food Safety Network Barfblogger, Doug Powell, points out, a food safety audit does not ensure safe food. While Powell's post is in response to comments made by NSF CEO Kevan Lawlor in Crain's Detroit Business regarding a need for better testing in a global food economy, I think there's a more important message here. Of course NSF wants more testing - more tests mean more money for NSF. But testing only assures that the food was clean at the time testing took place, it says nothing about a farmer's, or processor's, or retailer's practices in getting food through the long chain starting at the farm and ending on your plate. Find localized sources for your food, get to know them and their practices, and you'll sleep easy knowing that whether more tests and regulations are required or not, the people providing your food care about providing quality.