Salmonella
At least 12 times in 2007 and 2008, Peanut Corporation of America deliberately endangered our families by knowingly putting contaminated peanut products into the chain of commerce.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
China's system is broken, and so is ours. There are eerie similarities: Hamstrung regulators, callous companies that refuse to police their own products, and a population in the dark and at risk.
America is in dire peril when it comes to our food and drug supply. We're connected in one long chain with China, yet neither of us can effectively police quality.
The problems we face in food safety are familiar when viewing the unfolding financial crisis. We see cuts in agency budgets, weakening of regulations, and the fox being put in charge of the henhouse.