More than 20 people from Oregon and other states who have been hit by recent food poisonings are converging in Washington, D.C., this week to press Congress to overhaul the country's food safety system.

Produce distributors on the Atlanta State Farmers Market, Forest Park, Ga., take food safety seriously. They watch what happened to shippers of commodities such as tomatoes, hot peppers and peanuts, and work to make sure their operations are up to date on food safety procedures. Food safety has long been a priority for Phoenix Wholesale Foodservice Inc., Forest Park.

SPRINGDALE -- Instilling a culture of food safety and educating people - not merely training them - are the keys to improving the nation's food safety, according to two professionals who delivered their ideas to the Ozark Food Processors Association on April 8. The Ozark Food Processors Association gathered for its 103rd Convention and Exposition.

Last year's outbreak of listeriosis shook up millions of Canadians who had previously assumed that the food in our stores and restaurants is safe to eat. The listeriosis outbreak killed 21 people; hundreds more were made ill. It was one of the biggest cases of food-borne illness in Canada, spreading to seven provinces before contaminated meat products were pulled out of stores.