Food safety
From peanut butter to ground beef, virtually any food can become contaminated with pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella, listeria and other harmful bacteria.
Contamination can happen at any step in the food production process — from the field to packaging. The industrialization and globalization of our food system certainly has made it harder to trace problems when they occur and to determine their cause.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention says food borne pathogens may cause as many as 81 million illnesses and up to 9,000 deaths each year. Polls show that the majority of Americans feel the food industry doesn't do enough to protect food safety.
In January 2011 President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act, the first major overhaul to food safety regulations in nearly a century. Read The new food safety bill: What will it mean?
This section will introduce you to some significant issues affecting the safety of our food supply — from chemicals that can leach into food, such as bisphenol A (BPA), to irradiation, a questionable approach that doesn’t prevent contamination and reduces nutrient values.
60 percent of foodborne illnesses originate in home kitchens, so make sure you store, prepare, and serve it properly by following tips for handling food safely at home.
Look at these resources for more information:
Center for Science in the Public Interest