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First "pink slime," now a case of "mad cow disease" found in California. What readers need to know about the safety of their food:
-- The USDA says the diseased cow did not enter the food stream and that controls to prevent that from happening are working. However, at least one major South Korean supermarket has removed U.S. beef from its shelves. What connections to the food industry does your community have? Will cattle farmers, dairy farmers, feed corn farmers, transporters, processers or butchers be affected by the global reaction to this story?
-- Some are saying it was lucky the diseased cow was found, because the USDA only tests a portion of cows before they enter the food stream. What do food experts in your area say about this? Are there worse food-borne diseases to monitor for, such as E. coli or salmonella?
-- Because the "pink slime" furor seems to have calmed, it's a good time to ask your local grocers and restaurants for an update. Are certain types of ground beef still restricted in their businesses? How have prices changed in the first few months of this year? And wait -- is there a new food scare on the way with "tuna scrape"?
Check out story ideas, interesting ways to use Web tools and any way journalists are reaching out to readers.
