Remember when blueberries wouldn’t kill you?

In its push to shrink the government so that it can be slipped into a back pocket, the current administration has left consumers (and people who eat) at a loss as to how to safely assemble and eat their food.

Along with other guard rails, the federal government has eliminated or greatly reduced watchdogs who were looking out for us. What does that mean?

More and more serious food recalls.

Case in point, a recall brought on by E.coli in fruit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has elevated its warning on GreenWise Organic Frozen Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries to Class 1. That means death by ingestion is possible for certain members of the population and it is the highest risk level . No deaths have been reported, though sick people began showing up at their doctors and local emergency departments in mid-May.

Here’s a list of the products that have been recalled for E.coli. The produce was shipped to Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

And here’s the subhead on the FDA press release:

Yeah. THAT seems pretty stark.

Here’s a bit more about E.coli.

I’m still wondering if I can eat salads again. This says yes, but I saw up close what cyclosporiasis can do to a body, and for now, when I want a snack I’ll stick to Snickers bars. They have never let me down.