Recall rodeo: A food safety update + Why cars are catching fire

Food recalls abounded this summer, but was it unusual? Plus, why some modern cars burst into flames, even when turned off.

Between E. coli in blueberries, glass in popsicles, and that dreaded cyclospora, this summer was all about keeping a wary eye on the groceries in the fridge. But how does the recall data stack up against previous years? And are federal cuts to food safety agencies to blame? Flora talks to food safety expert Brian Ronholm to get the big picture.

Plus, more than 1.5 million cars have been recalled this year for risk of bursting into flames. As automotive journalist Jason Torchinsky explains, it's a miracle it doesn’t happen more often.

Guests:

Brian Ronholm is the director of food policy at Consumer Reports.

Jason Torchinsky is an automotive journalist and co-founder of Autopian.

Transcript will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.

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