This work is a detailed survey of food safety issues today, from E-coli contamination in fruits and vegetables to food production practices that increase antibiotic resistance.

Is our food safe? Much of the corn, soybeans, and canola oil we eat has been genetically modified, but we don''t know the long-term effects of GM foods on our health and the environment. We also consume antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria through the meat we eat, and we face new threats like mad cow disease, avian flu, and bioterrorism.

Food Safety: A Reference Handbook, Second Edition provides a broad, readable, and level-headed overview of these and other food safety controversies. Through a combination of statistics and substantive information, it delineates the nature and scope of the issues. It also introduces readers to the researchers, activists, industries, and government agencies that play a role in the battle for food safety—an issue that impacts us all.