For consumers, food safety can seem simple. They want to know that their burgers are safe and that they can eat their spinach salad without spending days in agony, close to a bathroom.
But food safety is a complex issue and one that is prompting increased discussion, debate and proposals on the part of advocates, farmers, grocers, government officials and others.
The E. coli outbreak in Ohio, Michigan and New York has once again drawn attention to the safety of the nation's food and is prompting some to point to deficiencies they say contribute to an unprecedented amount of food-borne illness in the country.
Last week, in a related development, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced that it is requiring its beef suppliers to run additional tests – beyond those required by the federal government – that will reveal contaminants including non-0157 forms of E. coli. E. coli 0157 is the type most commonly implicated in outbreaks, and the one for which testing is required.
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