Who's Watching Our Fruits Now?

The Agriculture Department has shut down a small program with a big food-safety mission. Food Safety News reports the Microbiological Data Program officially ended Monday. Its scientists have been reassigned. The program conducted nearly 80 percent of all federal testing on fruits and vegetables, checking for dangerous bacteria like salmonella. But neither the department nor political leaders wanted to fund it. USDA said the Food and Drug Administration should have the responsibility instead.