Foodborne illness is a big problem. Contaminated food causes 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths each year in the United States. Wash those chicken breasts, and you’re likely to spread Salmonella to your counter tops, kitchen towels, and other foods nearby. Even salad greens can become bio-hazards when toxic strains of E. coli inhabit the water used to irrigate crops. Timothy D. Lytton, law professor at Georgia State University, provides an up-to-date history and analysis of the U.S. food safety system, paying particular attention to important but frequently overlooked elements like private audits and liability insurance.