Pot pies, produce, peanut butter, pizza and pet food.

These are not consumer food safety issues. There are farm and processing issues.

But so many government, academic and industry types can’t help themselves, and have to make baseless declarations, like, "We have the safest food in the world," and, "The majority of foodborne illness happens in the home."

Estimates I’ve seen vary from 10 per cent to 90 per cent of identified foodborne illness happening in the home. But if I put peanut butter on bread, does that mean I should have taken steps to protect myself, like deep-frying the peanut butter? Should I cook all my fresh produce? How are the numbers counted?

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said in a press release today that,

"Numerous food-borne illness outbreaks during the past year have heightened public awareness about the dangers with various types of food items. From E-coli in lettuce and meat to salmonella in poultry, more than 76 million people are sickened by food-borne illnesses every year in the United States, resulting in more than 5,000 fatalities.

"However, the majority of food poisonings occur as a result of unsafe preparation and cooking practices."

Show us the data.

Further, telling people — like Commissioner Bronson did — that, "once consumers have purchased the food it is up to them to follow safe and proper food handling practices" seems simplistic — or convenient. Especially considering the number of salmonella outbreaks linked to Florida tomatoes that consumers could have done … nothing to prevent.