How about your salad, is it safe? The facts about food safety basics and food-borne illnesses in the United States should be highly publicized.

The other day, I was listening to National Public Radio (NPR). The topic of discussion was the recent recall of 143 million pounds of beef. It was reported that the Westland/ Hallmark Meat Company was unconcerned if consumer confidence would decline as a result of the recall. They projected a slowdown, but just as in previous recall situations, within a year of the recall Americans would return to consuming the same amounts of beef within a year.

Well, I don’t eat meat, but I’m not one of those self-righteous sprout munchers either. I think that both the consumers of meat and vegetarians should know food safety basics when making their purchases.

Food-borne illnesses have been on the rise for the last 30 years or more and it is not clear as to whether this is due to declining food safety or improved tracking systems.

Americans eat approximately 2,000 pounds of food in a year. 260 pounds of that is imported. But what you might not realize is that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), who has jurisdiction to inspect imported foods, only inspects 1.3 percent of the imports. That percentage has been declining rapidly since 2003.

Salmonella is the most common food-borne bacteria. However, E. Coli should be a major concern to  consumers. E. Coli can come from sick cattle or other warm-blooded animals, restaurant workers, ground water or crops. Much of the industrial cattle are corn-fed, which increases the chance of E. Coli being found in their lower intestines. If you eat beef, look for grass-fed beef. It is natural food for the cattle and there is significantly less chance of finding E. Coli in the beef you purchase.

Organic produce is not necessarily any safer. It is subject to the same hazards of E. Coli and has been previously found in organic spinach. Supporting local growers is beneficial to you. You can always ask the grower if their farm is close to cattle or if they use animal fertilizer. If they use animal fertilizer, there are very strict regulations for the organic grower. Ask what safety measures they use.

Higher E. Coli levels are found more often in restaurants  than in households. When you choose a restaurant be sure to look for cleanliness and see if a health score is posted in the restaurant or on a website. Not all states mandate this but several do.

Consider buying your produce at a local farmer’s market. Even better yet, grow your food or some of it. Meat eaters should consider buying free range live stock and grass fed cattle.

Please see www.nationalgeographic.com for further information on FDA regulations. Check out their "Green Guide".