Though the U.S. has done well in the amount of food production, food quality has been a recent issue. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees processing of meat and poultry, and places high value on assuring the public that only healthy animals are slaughtered for food. This is quality-assurance at the entry point of the process. But several recent, highly-publicized outbreaks of bacterial contamination (E. coli and Salmonella), have indicated the need to focus on safe handling procedures through the entire production and distribution lines. Tests at critical processing points are now required, depending on the size of the production facility. In the near future, new safety techniques such as irradiation, which kills bacteria and leaves nothing behind, may be introduced.