The largest egg recall in U. S. history is underway, after a salmonella outbreak more than doubled the number of such cases betw

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问题     The largest egg recall in U. S. history is underway, after a salmonella outbreak more than doubled the number of such cases between May and July, from an anticipated 700 to almost 2,000. The eggs have been traced to two Iowa egg producers, Wright County Egg and Hilland-ale Farms, but more than two dozen different brands and distributors in 17 states have been affected. When a salmonella outbreak on two Iowa farms leads to a nationwide recall of a half-billion eggs, it points to a bigger question: what happened to the food system?
    America is growing increasingly dependent on industrial agriculture: fewer—and larger— farms are feeding the country. At so-called factory farms, food production is a decidedly non-rural business; animals are pumped up with hormones and confined in tiny spaces. An estimated 95 percent of America’s eggs are produced at just 192 farms, down from 2,500 in 1987. But is industrial agriculture to blame for the salmonella outbreak?
    No, says Darrell Trampel, a poultry veterinarian at Iowa State University. Buying organic or local doesn’t necessarily mean you’re protected from diseases. The source of the outbreak is still under investigation, but one likely criminal is mice, which can be a problem for farms of any size, Trampel says. The particular strain of salmonella associated with eggs—Salmonella enteriti-dis—emerged in the late 1980s, when it moved from rats to chickens.
    Still, for local egg producers, the outbreak has been an unexpected fortune, as customers turn to farmers’ markets instead of supermarkets. Smaller farms, many of which advocate their free-range and organically fed products, may intuitively feel like a safer choice to some shoppers. But while small-scale producers may be more humane, salmonella outbreaks aren’t u-nique to large-scale operations.
    Despite the hype, there’s contradictory evidence about whether eggs laid by free-range or organically fed hens are less likely to contract the bacteria than eggs laid in factory-farm settings. According to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, claims that chickens labeled " kosher," " free range," " organic," or " natural" having lower salmonella levels are unsubstantiated.
    But the extension of large-scale industrial food production does mean that when there is a problem, it’s magnified. As a result, salmonella outbreaks on two Iowa farms can sicken thousands across the country. Smaller farms produce less food, and that food often doesn’t travel too far from farm to table. As a result, outbreaks are relatively isolated and affect fewer people. But this model is rapidly changing as food production and distribution becomes a national affair.
    Yesterday, Tyson Foods recalled 380,000 pounds of deli meat sold in sandwiches at Wal-Mart stores because of a potential contamination with listeria, a bacterium that can cause high fever, headaches, and nausea. Last year hundreds were sickened by a salmonella outbreak that was ultimately traced to peanut butter produced in Georgia and distributed around the country.
Customers turned to local egg producers rather than supermarkets because they thought

选项 A、it’s safer to eat free-range eggs.
B、small-scale producers are more humane.
C、salmonella is only limited to large farms.
D、free-range eggs have lower salmonella.

答案A

解析 事实细节题。根据题干关键词Customers turned to定位至第四段。该段第二句指出:很多小农场宣称他们的鸡蛋是由自由放养、喂有机饲料的鸡产下的,这使得一些消费者直觉上认为选择这样的鸡蛋比较安全,因此可以确定[A]正确。[B]是对第四段最后一句的断章取义,故排除;[C]与第四段最后一句的意思相反,故排除;[D]与第五段最后一句话的意思相反,故排除。
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