Minimum Processes, Maximum Hurdles

A food industry trade publication extensively quotes Marler discussing challenges with raw and minimally processed foods. "The industry struggles with raw foods, especially leafy greens, because they are products without a kill step," he tells the reporter. "You have to approach pathogens in a holistic way, beginning with what is going on at the farm."Discussing his settlement work on spinach cases 25 months after the September 2006 outbreak, Marler reveals typical settlement ranges—a rare glimpse at the economics of food poisoning litigation. He says cases involving life-threatening symptoms settle for $1 million-$15.6 million per patient, while less-severe E. coli cases typically settle for $25,000-$500,000 each. These figures represented 76 spinach victims his firm handled.The reporter captures Marler's pragmatic views on various safety interventions. On irradiation: "Hopefully there'll be some manufacturers that will take that step." On local food safety: "We don't know. Bigger outbreaks are easier to figure out, and they're always caused by mass-produced food." His comments reveal someone thinking systematically about food safety rather than advocating for any single solution, though he consistently returns to the need for farm-level improvements and industry accountability.