News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – Although the estimated annual toll of foodborne illnesses and deaths in the United States was revised sharply downward by federal officials in 2010, foodborne disease still costs the nation up to $77.7 billion a year, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Protection.

(CIDRAP News) – Though botulism outbreaks in Europe are often traced to home-canned food, three recent outbreaks were linked to commercially distributed food, raising important food safety issues, investigators reported last week.

(CIDRAP News) – German government officials today lifted their recommendation against eating cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce, and showcased evidence that puts sprouts front and center in their investigation of a massive Escherichia coli outbreak, though the outbreak strain has not yet been found in sprouts.