The Food and Drug Administration on Friday proposed the most
sweeping food safety rules in decades, requiring farmers and
food companies to be more vigilant in the wake of deadly
outbreaks in peanuts, cantaloupe and leafy greens. The long-
overdue regulations are aimed at reducing the estimated 3,000
deaths a year from foodborne illness. Just since last summer,
outbreaks of listeria in cheese and salmonella in peanut butter,
mangoes and cantaloupe have been linked to more than 400
illnesses and as many as seven deaths, according to the Centers
for Disease Control. The actual number of those sickened is
likely much higher. The FDA's proposed rules would require
farmers to take new precautions against contamination, to
include making sure workers' hands are washed, irrigation water
is clean, and that animals stay out of fields. Food
manufacturers will have to submit food safety plans to the
government to show they are keeping their operations clean. Many
responsible food companies and farmers are already followi