ctions annually. E. coli is found naturally in animals but is destroyed in meat by thorough cooking. It can also be found in sprouts and lettuce that have not been properly washed. An E. coli infection can cause diarrhea and, in the very young or very old, further problems or even death. The CDC attributes 61 deaths annually to E. coli. Salmonella also is linked to eating foods that have not been cooked properly. The illness causes diarrhea, fever and cramps. The CDC receives reports of 40,000 salmonella cases annually. Taking it for granted N. Duane Noland is a central Illinois farmer and a Republican state senator. "We have benefited for years in this nation of it being a given that our food was safe. When you see what has happened in Europe it makes you think," he said. With the amount of international travel coming in to airports like O'Hare International Airport, Noland said it's scary to think how easily something like foot-and-mouth disease could spread if precautions aren't maintained. "It'd be devastating," he said. Aside from the economic problems, consumers would have to develop a taste for soy burgers and tofu. "It'd be tough for us," said Diane Quagliani, a registered dietician in Western Springs and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Meat is certainly a food we enjoy here." Food safety analyst Ann Hollingsworth said most people take food safety for granted. "I think they expect a level of food safety that may not be realistic at times. I don't think they realize how much effort goes into the processing of their food whether it is hamburger, steak or lettuce. I don't think they realize the steps it takes to keep that produce safe." Hollingsworth is a former vice president of food safety for Keystone Foods. Based in the Philadelphia area, Keystone is a meat supplier for many national fast-food chains. Hollingsworth, now based in Carollton, Ga., is a food safety and food crisis management consultant. She said she's pleased with the steps the U.S. meat industry has taken to prevent either disease here. Because an outbreak would spell financial doom for the industry, Hollingsworth said companies often are ahead of the government in preventing and preparing for the same kinds of catastrophes that have happened in Europe. With an intimate knowledge of how the industry works and the scares that can lurk behind every corner, Hollingsworth said she doesn't hesitate to sit down to a steak dinner. "I was born and raised on a cattle farm," she said. "I'm cautious when I travel internationally about what I eat. And I would probably think twice about eating beef in Great Britain." Tyson-IBP Court Battle Is Landmark Case By Tom Johnson NEW YORK (Reuters) - Can a company spurned by its merger partner force a reconciliation? A landmark court case next week is expected to set important new ground rules for one of the most bitter affairs in corporate America -- merger break-ups. Next Monday, top executives of Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE:TSN - news), the No. 1 U.S. chicken producer, and meatpacking firm IBP Inc. (NYSE:IBP - news) will be herded into a Delaware courtroom to find if Tyson's decision to ax its planned IBP acquisition should be allowed to stand -- and if so, under what terms. The hotly-contested court battle has captured the attention of corporate merger and acquisition attorneys across the country, who believe this case could ultimately reshape the rules governing exactly when firms