America's Obsession With Restaurant Food Safety Dates Back to 1889

Allowing strangers to prepare the food we put into our bodies is, to a certain extent, a leap of faith. When we decide to consume meals anywhere outside our own homes, we are trusting that those involved with the preparation have taken every precaution to follow—at minimum—current food safety standards.

Unless you live in New York, Chicago, or another location that visibly grades restaurants on adherence to public health standards, food safety may not be something you think about on a regular basis. That is, until a high-profile case surfaces, such as the recent E.coli outbreak at Chipotle. Learning that people are getting sick from eating food prepared by a major, national restaurant chain—particularly one that advertises itself as “food with integrity”—is unnerving.