In September, spinach was pulled from grocery store shelves and menus across the country after scientists inked several deaths and many sicknesses to spinach tainted with a harmful strain of bacteria. A few weeks later, contaminated lettuce was recalled. And more recently, Taco Bell removed green onions from its ingredients list after several people were sickened at some of the chain's restaurants in the Northeast -- although now USDA officials say that contaminated lettuce, not onions, may have been the source of the problem.

In this hour of Science Friday, Ira and guests talk about food safety and foodborne illnesses. Are there procedures, technologies, or regulations that should be in place to help protect consumers?

We'll also talk about nanotechnology risks and regulations. With little known about the potential risks of certain nanoengineered materials, the City of Berkeley, California voted this week on whether to regulate the manufacture and use of nanomaterials within the city limits. We'll talk about the vote, and about what challenges face the field of nanotechnology if it is to move forward safely.Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Andrew Maynard
Science Advisor, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Washington, DC

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Michael Doyle
Professor and Director, Center for Food Safety
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
University of Georgia
Griffin, Georgia

Robert Gravani
Director of the National Good Agricultural Practices Program
Professor, Department of Food Science
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Jean Halloran
Director, Food Policy Initiatives
Consumers Union, publishers of Consumer Reports
Yonkers, New York

Books/Articles Discussed:

ConsumerReports.org - Chicken safety 1/07: Dangerous bacteria, Contamination

"Safe handling of nanotechnology" by Andrew D. Maynard1, Robert J. Aitken, Tilman Butz, Vicki Colvin, Ken Donaldson, Günter Oberdörster, Martin A. Philbert, John Ryan, Anthony Seaton, Vicki Stone, Sally S. Tinkle, Lang Tran, Nigel J. Walker and David B. Warheit. Nature 444, 267-269 (16 November 2006) | doi:10.1038/444267a.

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This segment produced by Charles Bergquist