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May 8, 2013 A month after dead pigs washed ashore in a Shanghai river, the city got an even more serious meat problem: A new bird flu appeared at poultry markets. But even a recent rat meat scandal hasn't kept Shanghai's omnivores from enjoying KFC and Kung Pao Chicken.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

April 15, 2013 When a food-safety student found out her dog's food was being recalled for possible contamination with salmonella, she learned a few things about how germs travel between critters and their humans.

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April 9, 2013 Arsenic in beer doesn't sound like a good idea, even if it's due to a centuries-old filtering process. A new study says filtering beer with diatomaceous earth could boost levels of arsenic. But it's not clear whether this poses a health risk.

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April 5, 2013 An outbreak of E. coli in frozen pizza, cheesesteaks, and other foods makes it clear: Just because the freezer's frosty doesn't mean it can kill microbes that cause food-borne illness.

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March 28, 2013 Salad is not just a food; it's home to a flourishing community of mostly benign microbes. A new inventory finds surprising differences in the bacteria growing on popular fruits and vegetables.

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March 26, 2013 Spices colored with carcinogens? Milk that "never saw a cow"? A free global database opens the door on the many ways that people adulterate or fake food.

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February 28, 2013 The horse meat scandal might be playing out in Europe, but China is the biggest producer in the global market for horseflesh, a new infographic reveals.

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February 27, 2013 The restaurant chain hopes a new system for analyzing big data sets will help it spot patterns of complaints across its more than 170 outlets in a matter of hours, not weeks. The goal: to spot problems small and big (soggy pickles? foodborne illness?) before they balloon.

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January 29, 2013 Is eating raw meat worth risking diarrhea or worse? A recent Salmonella outbreak makes us wonder about the trend toward consuming beef that's undercooked or not cooked at all.

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January 4, 2013 Two years after a food safety bill became law, the FDA issues a rule to prevent foodborne illness in produce and one to require food manufacturers to have plans in place to prevent contamination. Foodborne illness sickens about 48 million Americans each year.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

December 6, 2012 Although we can usually smell when food goes bad, humans just don't have the fruit fly's direct path from nose to brain that alerts it to food poison. But the detection of this pathway could someday lead to more research that could help us develop better bug repellants.

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October 30, 2012 The hand can opener is a storm cook's best friend. Sterno cans, gas grills and portable stoves can be, too, say our readers.

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October 29, 2012 Storms like Sandy send many of us responsible for feeding the family running to the grocery store in a panic, and then throwing out a lot of food. Here are some tips to minimize both of those things. What are yours?

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October 26, 2012 The crunchy green microplants have long been touted as raw food chock full of nutrients. But that very freshness is also why they've caused more than 54 disease outbreaks since 1990, including a mega-outbreak of E. coli in Germany in 2011 that killed 53 people.

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September 25, 2012 Twenty-nine people in about 18 states have reported becoming sick from a rare strain of Salmonella associated with the peanut butter so far. Peanut butter supplier Sunland, Inc.'s expanded recall is a reminder that our food system depends on just a handful of companies.

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