Microbiological data program, crucial E. coli screening for produce, axed by Congress

Congress has passed a bill that would cut all funding from the Microbiological Data Program, which food safety experts call the United States’ most important defense against produce-borne E. coli infection, the Chicago Tribune reports. The Microbiological Data Program was tasked with screening a broad swath of fruits and vegetables for pathogens, including salmonella, which sickened 20 Americans last week, and E. coli, which has killed dozens and infected thousands in Europe over the past month. Huffington Post

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