I can't help out with the stats, but I'm guessing he might have been referring to the organic spinach E coli thing a while back ( I believe it happened several times, but I remember one big scare in particular). http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/02/organic-baby-spinach-recalled-nationwide-over-e-coli-concerns/ I can however reccomend reading the "Locovore's Dilemma" for a different perspective on agribusiness and food safety (It was a nice compliment to Omnivore's Dilemma, which by the title you can see was written as a sort of response). It also throws out lots of nice stats/examples/history etc that support some of Pete's claims about food safety. ***"Allergens are sometimes the products of exposure to chemicals in the environment put there by agriculture. How do you figure that into your summary?" I believe the discussion was life threatening anaphylaxis. Looking up common causes this is what I came up with. What Are the Common Triggers of Anaphylaxis? Food is generally the most common cause of anaphylaxis. Common food triggers include nuts, shellfish (shrimp, lobster), dairy products, egg whites, and sesame seeds. Wasp or bee stings<http://firstaid.webmd.com/tc/insect-bites-and-stings-and-spider-bites-topic-overview>are also common causes of anaphylaxis. Additionally, exercise<http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/default.htm>can trigger anaphylaxis if the activity occurs after eating allergy <http://www.webmd.com/allergies/default.htm>-provoking food.> Continue reading below... Medications <http://www.webmd.com/drugs/index-drugs.aspx> are also a common cause of anaphylaxis. Pollens and other inhaled allergens (allergy-causing substances) rarely cause anaphylaxis. Some substances can cause reactions -- called anaphylactoid reactions -- that are similar to and just as serious as anaphylaxis, but do not involve immunoglobulin E antibodies. Common causes are fish and some medications, such as intravenous radiological contrast dye. > excerpted from: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/anaphylaxis I don't see one example that is added by agribusiness, which is probably why I wouldn't factor it in either. Jeremy West Michigan *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html