Generally, you hear from the food industry, politicians and the media: “We have the safest food supply in the world.”  Lena Sun’s article this morning in the Washington Post shows another side and is worth a read, “Conflicts of interest mar food producers’ independent inspections.” However, the pictures of the victims (all my clients) are worth more than thousands of words.

Four-year-old Zoe Warren of Bethesda was hospitalized in 2007 after contracting salmonella poisoning. She had eaten a chicken pot pie.

Richard Rivera kisses his wife, Linda, after wiping her face at Kindred Hospital in Las Vegas. Linda Rivera, 57, was hospitalized in May 2009 after eating several spoonfuls of raw Nestle cookie dough. It was contaminated by E. coli, and she developed hemolytic uremic syndrome. She has suffered multiple organ failure and lost her ability to speak. She is still hospitalized.

Corinne Swartz, left, of Hagerstown, Md., lost her mother, June Dunning, to an E. coli related illness. Dunning, 86, became ill several days after eating steamed spinach and died about two weeks later. Bagged spinach grown in California was found to be contaminated with E. coli, which killed several people and sickened hundreds across the nation. Pictured with Swartz is her husband, Warren.

Sarah Lewis, right testified, telling members that she contracted salmonella from a custard dessert made with eggs from Wright County Egg. Her illness was “agony,” she said. She filed suit against the company. You can see part of my face and most of my grey hair.  Also known (for this article anyway), as “quoteless in Seattle.”