Food Safety and Consumer Protection

In September, spinach was pulled from grocery store shelves and menus across the country after scientists inked several deaths and many sicknesses to spinach tainted with a harmful strain of bacteria. A few weeks later, contaminated lettuce was recalled. And more recently, Taco Bell removed green onions from its ingredients list after several people were sickened at some of the chain's restaurants in the Northeast -- although now USDA officials say that contaminated lettuce, not onions, may have been the source of the problem.

Guests talk about food safety and foodborne illnesses -- are there procedures, technologies, or regulations that should be in place to help protect consumers?

Guests:

Michael Doyle, Professor and Director, Center for Food Safety, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA

Robert Gravani, Director of the National Good Agricultural Practices Program, Professor, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Jean Halloran, Director, Food Policy Initiatives Consumers Union, publishers of Consumer Reports, Yonkers, NY