Consumers have a lot to learn about the foods they buy, eat, and compare, and about the role government plays in determining food labeling and the nation's nutrition goals. There are many entities included in the food system: consumers, food processors, third parties, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the United States Drug Association (USDA). Private companies also influence how food will be labeled. The government creates a safety standard and regulations on what can be put on labels. Additionally, the consumer can manipulate what nutrition labels show as most important because the company will push what is most appealing to consumers. The government also proposes safety measures to have a preventive and proactive law on food safety instead of a reaction to food safety problems. Because the government is able to police the safety of food and monitor what is in it, it creates a preventative rather than a reactive system. But it wasn't always like this. Government and interest groups are attempting to increase the credibility of product labeling and accountability for what the company produces and sells to the consumer. There are many different methods of purchasing, some may purchase from large commercial farms that use pesticides, growth hormones and other unnatural products to produce the food in mass quantities and more quickly. Additionally, food can be purchased from large or small organic farms that do not use these unnatural substances to enhance their foods. In any case, both must be examined by the FDA and USDA to be approved for sale on the market. The regulatory and labeling process is where we can understand how much government influences our... medium of paper... h. “Why food recalls are getting worse.” Main St. November 15, 2010. Web. May 21, 2014. FDA Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FDA and Web. May 23, 2014.Fortin, Neal. “The US FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.” European Food & FeedLaw Review, June 2011. Web. 19 May 2014. Monsanto. “Labeling of foods and ingredients developed from genetically modified seeds.” Monsanto. March 2013.Web. May 19, 2014. National organic program. USDA, 2008. 0. May 10, 2012.ams.govPaul, Maya, Gina Kemp, and Robert Segal. "Organic food". : Understand organic food labels, benefits, and claims. HelpGuide.org, December 2013. Web. April 30, 2014. Silverglade, Bruce and Ilene Heller. “Food labeling chaos.” Center for Science in the Public Interest (2010): n. page CSPInet.org. March 2010. Web. 25 May 2014. World Health Organization. “Genetically modified food.” WHO. Network. May 19 2014.