agriculture economy, lost more than $100 million in Florida and
products. Traced to a Blakely, GA plant owned by Peanut Corporation
close to $14 million in Georgia. After the event, jalapeño growers in
of America, the outbreak has prompted President Obama to call for an
Mexico, who were not involved in the scare, were reluctant to plant
investigation of the FDA’s practices.
the crop again for export, fearing that they would have no market in the U.S. These outcomes are not unusual. As a result of the spinach outbreak in 2006, spinach farmers reported losses totaling $350 million.
And while it is easy to look at the FDA and find its failings, it is historically under-funded and has limited power. For example, if a company does internal testing for Salmonella that isn’t on the FDA’s official clock and finds some, it doesn’t have to report it. The agency
The emotional impact on consumers is reflected in their buying
also does not have the power to require a company to recall its
patterns. In December 2007, the Thompson West Research poll
products; they can only request it be done.
found 61% of Americans worry about the safety of their food. The Food Marketing Institute’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2007 report documented a 16% decline in consumer confidence in the safety of the food they purchase in grocery stores. How many of us, once an alert is issued, can overcome our fear and take a “risk” to buy an item even after it has been cleared by the FDA as having no part in the outbreak? This emotional response can wreak havoc with a grower’s or
Revamping the entire patchwork of federal agencies involved in food safety is imperative. Among the key issues to look at along the way: the traceability of our food and the new technology coming out of universities across the country that will help us protect our food sources. We already have the technology to trace our food. Stickers on fruits and vegetables are used as standardized price look-up codes. For
producer’s bottom line. But consumers have every right to remain
example, a “4087” on a sticker means red Roma tomatoes no matter
skeptical. So many mixed messages and signals emerge during one
where you are shopping. Similar standardized codes could let retailers,
of these events that it’s not surprising we willingly give
food safety investigators, and curious consumers know exactly what
up spinach, peppers, and tomatoes while we wait for
farm a bunch of asparagus comes from. According to Caroline
our alphabet soup of agencies to give the “all clear.”
Smith DeWaal, “unfortunately, the produce industry is reaping
There has to be a better way.
what it sowed when it sought and received special exemptions that allowed it to avoid the country-of-origin labeling requirements
Detection and Prevention
country-of-origin labeling. We have the ability to trace back directly
Indeed, looking for a better way is front and center these
to a specific farm. And when distributors mix produce from different
days. In her August 14, 2008 press release, Caroline Smith DeWaal,
sources in repacking facilities, they should be required to maintain the
director of food safety for the Center for Science in the Public
identifying marks or labels.
Interest (CSPI), praised the proposed bipartisan FDA Food Safety
Our universities are cauldrons of new ideas and technologies. After
Modernization Act, which would help refocus the FDA on preventing, rather than just reacting to, foodborne disease outbreaks. The bill would require domestic and foreign food companies to assess potential hazards, develop food safety plans, and take steps to prevent contaminated foods from being marketed. It also would require the FDA to issue regulations for ensuring safer fresh produce.
the 1998 Listeria contamination of hot dogs and deli meat, the Sara Lee Corporation, as a condition of its probation, funded $3 million for the Center for Integrative Toxicology at Michigan State University. Researchers at Iowa State University have revealed a new technique for testing for Salmonella in produce by applying simple adhesive tape to food surfaces and utilizing ultraviolet light to identify pathogens. An
DeWaal called upon the then-incoming Obama administration
agricultural research scientist and his colleagues from the University
to “bring our entire food regulatory system into the 21st century
of Georgia have developed a microscopic biological sensor that
by creating a unified food agency with a single leader and a firm
detects Salmonella bacteria, which has great potential for food safety.
budgetary foundation.” President Obama is currently doing just that.
Flourescent organic dye particles attach to Salmonella antibodies
The outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium in peanut butter that began in September 2008 has affected 575 people in 43 states and resulted in the voluntary recall of 1,790
10
that Congress passed in 2002.” We need to—and can—go beyond
hooked onto the bacteria. The dye lights up like a torch, leading the way to the Salmonella! When fully developed, this technology would allow for frequent testing at a much lower cost than is incurred by sending samples to a lab for analysis. This point-of-packaging