I think there have been changes since Sinclairs time.Scientific advancements,health advancements, industrial advancements have come a long way in improving the safety of our foods BUT,as in Sinclair's time, too many of these have been as a response to health tragedies gone public and not before they became an issue. Yes, just as the fresh vegetable deaths and scares just this past year, NOW with all the publicity and warnings, government is going to "readdress" the issues. Its like the Ford Pinto cars, remember? The bean counters for Ford said, yes there is a rear-end collision problem that can cause explosions and fires but the cost to recall and correct this problem, would be more than the cost to settle the death cases that might arise. That's the bean counters jobs! Hard to imagine but its there. But when things are made public and the public responds, for example, not buying Pintos, not buying ANY spinach or leafy vegetables and thus hurting the industries, then things begin to happen. So Sinclair was right in what he said and what he was trying to do,make the public an informed public,so things can happen, these obsurdities addressed. His book did a lot for that then. We still need those things now because big business will always go by what the bean counters say till it proves too costly. One brief note on fast foods too, if you ever saw what goes on behind the counters, but this is true in restaurants too, most of us would just eat at home! Gardening anyone??? 
