If you glance at the economic news, things seem to be slowly but steadily improving.


The Dow is climbing upward again, and inflation remains relatively low. Even the job numbers are ticking up: 151,000 new private sector jobs were created in October. These are good signs for our nation.


If you dig a little deeper, however, things are more worrisome — and could get much worse. 



Even as legislative efforts to improve the safety of the nation’s food supply remain stalled in 
Congress, scientists are seeking better detection methods for 
deadly pathogens that could help restaurant operators better 
ensure the safety of their menu items.


Researchers from Purdue 
University in West Lafayette, Ind., in August said infrared spectroscopy can detect E. coli faster than current testing methods and can reduce the length of investigations into outbreaks by days.