Apparently, the E. coli spinach outbreak that killed three people and sickened more than 200 last year wasn't warning enough for federal regulators, who have yet to increase inspections.

According to a disturbing report by The Associated Press, federal officials still inspect companies growing and processing salad greens at the same dismal rate: an average of just once every 3.9 years. Considering that more than 5 million bags of salad are sold each day, nationwide, this is reprehensible.

In California's "salad bowl" region, where the source of the tainted spinach was found, many in the industry have adopted voluntary regulations — but they are just that, voluntary. And in the absence of more stringent federal regulations, a mere 10 auditors from the California Department of Food and Agriculture are monitoring the area's numerous and vast fields.

Surely, the health and safety of millions of Americans is worth more than that.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should have been enforcing inspections on produce even before the outbreak. The fact that it has done nothing since is pathetic.

State Sen. Dean Florez, who represents California's Central Valley, sponsored three failed bills to mandate regulations for leafy greens. Now Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, will introduce legislation to bolster the FDA's oversight of fruits, vegetables, feed and other processed food products.

This legislation should pass, and funding must be a part of the package. The Bush administration proposed an $11 million increase for food-safety programs, but that amount isn't enough to support the FDA's needs, considering numerous scientific experts and food inspectors had been cut due to a lack of funding.

The federal government can't afford to wait for another outbreak before taking action. It must invest in public health and safety — if not, countless consumers may pay the price.