AirTalk

Where’d that food come from?

By AirTalk Staff

Published Jan 25, 2011

The label on a tub of Land O' Lakes butter lists ingredients and nutrition information.

Listen 16:01

Where’d that food come from?

In 2008, an outbreak of salmonella sickened more than 1,300 people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified tomatoes as the culprit and warned the public not to eat them. Months later, the actual source was identified as peppers from Mexico. This costly and potentially deadly mistake inspired the FDA to improve its food tracking abilities. Some companies took it a step further. HarvestMark, a company based in California, will start imprinting some fruits and vegetables with a bar code sticker. Consumers will be able to scan the barcode with a smart phone to get instant information on where the produce came from. How does this system work? And are you interested in knowing so much detail about your food? Will this make you feel safer about the food on your table?

In 2008, an outbreak of salmonella sickened more than 1,300 people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified tomatoes as the culprit and warned the public not to eat them. Months later, the actual source was identified as peppers from Mexico. This costly and potentially deadly mistake inspired the FDA to improve its food tracking abilities. Some companies took it a step further. YottaMark, a company based in California, will start imprinting some fruits and vegetables with a bar code sticker. Consumers will be able to scan the barcode with a smart phone to get instant information on where the produce came from. How does this system work? And are you interested in knowing so much detail about your food? Will this make you feel safer about the food on your table?

Guest:

Elliot Grant, chief marketing officer and founder of YottaMark, which makes the HarvestMark food-tracking system

Hey, LA listener!

Where’d that food come from?

Guest: