Vulnerable underbelly

That's part of the headline of this story from a LA Times writer about the fast food industry and fresh produce. From reading the headline, I would have thought that the vulnerable underbelly of the fast food industry is the biggie sized burgers and fries that are adding to the waistlines of Americans.

No, the angle for this story is how restaurant operators are dealing with the risk of pathogens on produce.
One excerpt:

"Produce is the Achilles' heel of the restaurant industry," said Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, who was hired as a consultant by Taco Bell during the outbreak. "People eat it raw and the produce industry does not have a sure-fire treatment that kills harmful bacteria." Health officials say contaminated lettuce found its way from the California farms to the companies that chop and dice the greens that caused the Taco Bell and Taco John's outbreaks. Lettuce is used in 70% of Taco Bell's food items."This is a serious issue," Taco Bell spokesman Will Bortz said. "We need to identify where there are loopholes in the system and address how to fix them, both for Taco Bell and the industry.

TK: While sorting out the food safety imperatives, operators should remind themselves that produce is more than the "Achilles' heel" of the restaurant industry. It is a vital drawing card that fast food operators shun at their own peril.