[newnewpdro]

You seem to have an issue with reading comprehension, considering which sentence you specifically quoted.

What does globalization have to do with chopping lettuce on an industrial scale that disperses pathogens across massive batches?

It doesn't matter where the consolidated lettuce came from, the real problem is that it was processed.

Furthermore, in the example I'm referencing, which was thoroughly covered in the US news as the CDC got involved, we were dealing entirely with domestic suppliers from California and Arizona. But I don't see how that is relevant in the least. The problem is that the stuff was processed in aggregate.

[saagarjha]

> You seem to have an issue with reading comprehension

I don't want to have to link to the site guidelines, since I'm sure you're aware that this isn't a particularly nice thing to say :/

> What does globalization have to do with chopping lettuce on an industrial scale that disperses pathogens across massive batches?

Chopping the lettuce had nothing to do with E. Coli getting in it; the problem was that the lettuce came into contact with it after being picked. The reason why it ended up getting to a lot of people was because of improvements in transportation and preservation allowing it to be distributed further, not because it was processed.

[newnewpdro]

The e.coli originated from an irrigation ditch getting contaminated by effluent from nearby livestock farms.

Processing expanded the contamination substantially increasing its reach to consumers, while also making it more difficult to narrow down which supplier had introduced the contamination.

From the consumer's perspective, by simply avoiding processed lettuce they significantly improved their chances of consuming untainted lettuce.