To eat, or not to eat? That’s hardly the question, since we must ingest and imbibe to survive. But with America rocked by another salmonella food poisoning outbreak, questions do arise. One is, “How bad is it?” Another is, “What do we do now?”

CBS News helped answer the first with a report today from the now-closed Blakely, Ga. plant of Peanut Corporation of America, believed to be the source of a salmonella outbreak that’s killed eight people so far and sickened hundreds — if not thousands — of others. This follows another devastating salmonella food poisoning onslaught last fall which struck down many Americans via a Mexican produce supplier.

A former worker at the Georgia peanut plant told a CBS newsman he saw roaches in the plant’s peanuts and once even saw a dead rat dry-roasting with peanuts. He also told of roof leaks and mold. Overall, it was an unpretty picture of a site where even the owners found traces of salmonella but continued selling products anyway — a willful act that has sparked a criminal investigation.

CBS News also interviewed a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner who declared “Our food safety system is broken.” Dr. David Kessler says America has healthy food overall, but that our food safety laws are antiquated, and the FDA needs more authority to prevent outbreaks before they occur.

He says America lacks “a system of preventative controls” and that we’re “always reacting” to health problems, rather than preventing them in the first place.

Preventing, rather than reacting, makes the most health sense. Indeed, that’s why some people prefer to get an annual physical exam whether they’re experiencing health problems or not. A so-called “wellness” exam — like a more thorough FDA check of a peanut processing plant — can detect problems before they magnify and often prevent them from growing. It clearly makes the most sense.

But until we fix our food supply system, dozens of products containing tainted peanut paste are being yanked off shelves by Kellogg and others, taking a huge toll on legitimate businesses who made the mistake of buying from Peanut Corp. And many Americans are suffering from salmonella food poisoning which should have been detected and stopped before it entered the food chain.

If you are one of these Americans, the damage is done, but at least you can fight back with a peanut butter salmonella food poisoning lawyer. Your salmonella attorney can work hard to gain financial compensation for your loss, including your medical bills, your lost wages and your pain and suffering.

And where do you find such a salmonella lawyer? At Jim S. Adler & Associates. Simply submit the online form on this page for a free case review, or call toll-free today to 1-800-505-1414 to speak to a legal representative.

Also keep in mind that a salmonella lawyer can be a preventative force, too. When businesses are held accountable for their misdeeds in the legal arena and forced to pay a steep price, it sets an example for others to get their act together, thus protecting us all.

Between the legal system, the FDA and President Barack Obama’s call for healthier food via a new Food Safety Bill, perhaps the times they are a-changing. At the least, now is the time to take rats and roaches out of the mix and protect the health and well-being of Americans everywhere.

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