Current debates around eating locally, the benefits of eating organic foods, individual rights to sell unpasteurized milk and the recent outbreaks of foodborne illness are issues that have garnered the attention of media, politicians and public health professionals.  Amidst all of the debates, what are the latest research findings and scientific knowledge in this area?

The Second Annual Sheela Basrur Symposium entitled, “Food, Fads, Facts and Fiction... How Safe Is Our Food?”, stimulated discussion and debate on the topic of food safety by exploring the current state of our food system from a variety of perspectives, including public health, political, environmental, economic and social.  Food experts from a range of disciplines discussed the topics of food safety, the benefits and risks of eating organic versus conventional foods and the arguments behind the growing local food movement.