If shoppers fears are unfounded (that this is an open-ended trawling through shopper's records), then why the discrepency in the comments made in this article?

The gentleman pictured said no one asked his permission to go through his purchase records. The spokesperson for COTSCO said they gave information once permission was received from the card holder.

So I say, yes, there's a privacy concern.

The article says the salmonella was traced back to imported pepper. Where did the pepper come from? Why was this information omitted from the article?

"The records are treated with the same level of confidentiality as would medical records."

Evidently NOT. Unless medical records are now being released without the consent of the patient.

Only very few ask for ID they believe whatever you fill out. Not too hard to trade with friends every now and then. So they can track the fake person all they want.

The ones that want ID to give a card I just make sure they get my other card they must PAY for. Just use a credit card every time. On very small purchases they may even lose money. Since I pay off the credit card every month it costs me nothing.

following the wrong trail people, think of jose the illegal immigrant and his buddies who harvest the lettuce and produce that has salmonila, and all this co-insides with the new arizona immigration laws, get real, it's jose's form of terrorism against the gringos called montizumas revenge, don't belive it? just watch it continue, first lettuce, then sprouts, next probably tomatos