The Year in Medicine 2008

China is charging into the 21st century — but its food-inspection system is mired in the 19th. Last year saw a series of tainted- food scandals. But consumers are just as concerned about genetically modified (GM) crops. The country is pumping funds into genetic research in the hope that better crops will help the land of 1.3 billion people feed itself. Given the gaps in China's food-safety net — and the potential for GM food to get out of control — that possibility is worrisome.