Comment: matter of convienence

I think Americans actually have plenty of time to research what's in their food, using common sense and turning off American Idol would be a good start.

Most consumers who buy a coffee pot don't research whether it has a history of catching fire, or if the stories about that brand of coffee pot catching fire are true or just a rumor. That's why companies pay to submit their electrical products to UL for testing. If the product doesn't meet UL's safety standards the product won't get UL's certification stamp, or if the product proves itself to be unsafe in the market, UL will revoke it's certified stamp of approval. If the retailer/consumer repects UL's reputation they will buy it without further research.

The same would apply to food products in the absence of the FDA. A company like Del Monte for example, is rumored to be a GMO food product, the company could pay to have the product tested and approved by a group similar to UL, say "Organic Food Growers" or "United Food Safety Laboratories". If consumers trust the reputation of that group they would need look no further than the "OFG" and/or "UFSL" seals of approval stamped on the product.