Food safety is again making headlines, with a flurry of recent articles focusing on E. coli and food safety. The FDA announced it would begin a joint effort with the USDA to develop new food-safety rules, as well as begin outreach efforts to the U.S. produce industry. And recently the Center for Science in the Public Interest released a list of the ten most “dangerous” foods (in terms of contamination), with leafy greens at the top of the list, and berries, tuna, and tomatoes implicated as well. (Interestingly, peanuts—which brought to light more food-safety issues earlier this year—didn’t make the list.) At home, handling, washing, and cooking—done properly—can rid produce and meat of most dangerous bacteria. But how can consumers be sure that bag of spinach they’re using doesn’t already carry E. coli inside?  And what about pre-made frozen dinners, and ground beef that may leave traces of bacteria in the kitchen even if handled safely?  

Most recently, ground beef, a large part of the American diet, has faced serious scrutiny: as the most frequent carrier of a deadly strain of E. coli, O157:H7, ground beef has been responsible for a spike in outbreaks in the past few years, and investigative reports—including a New York Times feature that also documented a woman’s illness and paralysis after E. coli exposure—have uncovered some serious safety concerns at food companies, including sanitation and the quality of beef used in grinding. The Times reported that tens of thousands of people have been sickened from O157:H7, despite the 1994 ban on selling ground beef tainted by it. That strain has moved on to other foods as well, including recent scares with spinach and peppers and even cookie dough.

Costco has recently reached an agreement to purchase meat to make hamburgers from food manufacturer Tyson and test the Tyson product for E. coli before it’s mixed with other companies’ meat, allowing for better detection of a source of contamination. But many fear other meat-grinding giants will continue to resist further safety changes that the industry needs to keep consumers safe.

Adding to the growing call to improve food safety, New York Times staff recently wrote an editorial that called on President Obama and Congress to “fill the safety gaps in food production.” The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (also known as H.R. 2749), passed by the House at the end of July, would allow the FDA to put recalls into effect, rather than relying on coaxing companies to voluntarily recall contaminated products; what’s more, inspections would increase, and the FDA would gain the ability to track food throughout the supply chain.

Undoubtedly, greater oversight is necessary to make sure certain foods reach consumers safely—but whether or not further legislation will make it through the Senate remains an unanswered question. Also, what about other means of ensuring food safety? Some food-safety experts are calling for greater use of irradiation as another level of safety for consumers. While the FDA has maintained that irradiated food is safe and keeps all of its nutrients, and its taste/texture, many remain unconvinced of those assertions and claim irradiation creates more potentially harmful side effects, like radiolytic products. While the debate concerning irradiation continues, it’s also worthwhile to consider whether a larger adoption of irradiation would discourage adherence to safety regulations at large food manufacturers and only provide a “quick fix” to the nation’s food-safety issues, which by all accounts are in need of immediate action.

Image via Flickr user scalibur001