A farm worker empties cucumbers into a container after failing to sell them due an ongoing food crisis in Europe, in Carquefou, western France, on Monday. The current crisis is the deadliest E. coli outbreak in modern history, and the outbreak is being blamed on a highly aggressive, "super-toxic" strain of E. coli. (AP Photo/Jacques brinon)We Americans are fortunate to have a wide variety of great foods conveniently available to us in our grocery stores and restaurants.
Great efforts are made throughout our country to assure not only good quality, but also safety. There are extensive regulations to prevent food-borne illnesses. But there can nevertheless be problems here and elsewhere.
We read of one recently in Germany, where at least 21 people reportedly have died from an E. coli outbreak. One other person died in Sweden. Hundreds more, including a few in the United States, have gotten sick.
What's E. coli? It's the abbreviation for a bacterium with a complicated scientific name: Escherichia coli. You may have heard about it in biology class. It can cause illness if it is in food that is not properly cooked.
We're grateful for efforts to protect our nation's food supply, but the ongoing tragedy in Europe reminds us that contaminated food sometimes gets past inspectors.