Farm to Fatal: Food for Thought
Is our food safe? Would you know if it is? Follow UCLA undergrads as they explore a dozen foodborne outbreaks and their consequences.
In Farm to Fatal, twelve different outbreaks illuminate the biology of foodborne illness, the complexity of modern food safety regulation, and the details of how we make food safe... or fail to. In Winter 2025, UCLA undergrads in the Human Biology and Society major set out to explore the intricacies of food safety in the US. Each group explored an outbreak over the last 30 years, diving into the details of the bacteriology, the illness and the treatments on the one hand, and the insanely complex system of governance, audit, oversight, lawsuits and regulations. Dive into every corner of the food safety world, from e. Coli to Hepatitis A, from South Africa to Arizona, from the challenge of regulating raw milk to the difficulties of cleaning tanker trucks, from the "sewer state" to problem of "organized non-knowledge". Across the episodes students find a new respect for the challenge of governing food, the problems with the existing system, and also the need to defend it.
Farm to Fatal: Food for Thought
Spilling the Milk: The 2014 Raw Milk Campylobacter Outbreak
A hidden danger in a simple glass—what really happened in the 2014 Utah raw milk Campylobacter outbreak? Beneath the surface lies a deeper battle over food safety, government control, and mistrust. Why do some risk it for raw milk? And what does it reveal about the Debate over what we eat?
In this episode, “Spilling the Milk, ” Anne Vu and Kayla Nguyen dive deep into the 2014 Utah Campylobacter outbreak, a public health crisis linked to raw milk. What began as a local food-borne illness swiftly became a place for larger political and cultural debates, shining a light on the complex intersection of public health, consumer choice, and ideological beliefs. They explore how the outbreak not only affected the lives of those who fell ill but also how the gaps in the current food safety system allowed for this outbreak to slip past. Through conversations with experts and activists, the layers of this crisis are unraveled. From shortcomings in the food safety system to the push for raw milk consumption, these topics reveal the broader issues of trying to balance public safety and personal freedoms. This episode sheds light on the unexpected ways that public health issues can become deeply embedded in the political narrative, offering insight into how a single outbreak can shift the discussions around food safety, politics, and identity in modern America. Listen for a thought-provoking journey into the intersection of health, politics, and cultural identity.
Produced by Anne Vu and Kayla Nguyen
These podcast episodes were created by members of the 2025 Winter Capstone course in the Human Biology and Society major at UCLA's Institute for Society and Genetics (https://socgen.ucla.edu/). The faculty sponsor is Christopher Kelty. For questions or concerns email ckelty@ucla.edu.