Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the United States, is being acquired by Shuanghui International, China's largest meat processing company.
Shuanghui is not transparent and has a shocking history of food safety violations. Given that the FDA is already grossly underfunded, and that the current regulatory system relies on voluntary compliance, there is no reason to believe that Shuanghui would forced to improve its food-safety practices after taking over Smithfield.
In addition to food safety risks, U.S. farmers would potentially be put at a disadvantage.
This purchase must be blocked and lawmakers must seriously address the risks posed by foreign buyouts of US food companies.