Final answer:
When a food product is implicated in an outbreak, it is recalled, not discounted. Health authorities, like the CDC, will investigate and trace the outbreak back to the source, resulting in the removal of the contaminated product from store shelves to protect public health.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a nationally distributed food is implicated in an outbreak, the process does not involve discounting the product to clear it from the shelves. Instead, health authorities, like the CDC, would conduct an investigation to pinpoint the source of the contamination. For example, during a Salmonella outbreak linked to onions from California, the affected produce was recalled within two weeks after being identified as the cause. The recall is an urgent measure to prevent further illnesses by removing the contaminated food from the market.
Case-control studies can be used to determine the exact food item responsible for an outbreak. It's worth noting that such outbreaks can influence consumer behavior; for instance, the release of the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list caused an increase in demand for organic produce, affecting both prices and sales. Therefore, the primary response to a food outbreak is to protect public health through recalls and providing information to the public.