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FDA: "Is this likely to happen again? Yes."
FDA hearing fails to discover cause of E. coli outbreak in spinach
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/16942404.htm
Mar 20, 2007
OAKLAND, Calif. - Despite an unprecedented investigation over
the last six months, federal and state health officials said
Tuesday that it is unlikely they will ever pinpoint the exact
cause of bacterial contamination that caused a nationwide outbreak
of illness from tainted spinach last year.
The disclosure, just weeks before a final report on the
investigation is expected to be released, came at a hearing
where representatives from consumer groups and a national trade
association for the produce industry called on the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration to set mandatory rules to
assure that fruit and vegetables are safe to eat.
FDA and state health officials, however, said they favor
voluntary guidelines and industry self-policing, including a
set of standards that California growers are expected
to adopt next week. The government officials said they would
not rule out mandatory regulation in the future.
Growing and packing practices need to improve said
Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer for the
FDA's food safety office. But he also warned
that another outbreak of food-borne illness will likely occur.
"We're never going to get to the point of zero risk,"
he told reporters during a break from the day-long hearing,
convened by his agency to get public input on ways to improve
food safety. "Is this likely to happen again? Yes."
And not solving the mystery makes it harder for farmers,
trying to prevent future outbreaks. Hank Giclas of the
Western Growers Association said farmers would like to
know how the contamination occurred so they can reduce
the chance of it happening again.
The investigation by state and federal health officials
led them to a single 50-acre field in San Benito County
where spinach tainted with the deadly E. coli
O157:H7 bacteria was grown last summer.
Investigators said the bacteria on the tainted spinach,
which killed at least three people and sickened 200
more nationwide, genetically matched bacteria
they found in samples of cow manure in a nearby pasture,
as well as water in a nearby stream and at least
one wild pig in the area.
This was the first time investigators have been able
trace an outbreak of foodborne illness to a single field,
but they couldn't determine exactly how the
bacteria came into contact with the spinach.
The spinach in last fall's outbreak was processed by
Natural Selection Food in San Juan Bautista and sold
under the Dole label in supermarkets nationwide.
Officials have said they would not name the farm
where the spinach was grown until their report
is released. An attorney representing dozens of people who
became ill last fall has said in court papers
that the suspect spinach was grown by a company
called Mission Organics.
Critics complained Tuesday that the government has not done enough.
"How many more deadly outbreaks must there be?"
asked Elisa Odabashian. The West Coast director of
Consumers Union said that the government has
abdicated its responsibility by relying on the
produce industry to police itself.
A spokesman for a major trade association also called
on the FDA to impose mandatory rules for growers and
packagers nationwide. James Gorny, a vice president
for the United Fresh Produce Association, which represents
large produce firms, praised the efforts undertaken
so far by government and industry. But he said his
group believes the only way to restore consumer confidence
is for the federal government to set consistent standards
and enforce them.
Acheson, however, echoed spokesmen for the
Western Growers Association, who argue that devising
regulations is a cumbersome process. Giclas argued
that the industry can develop its own list of
`best practices' and revise them quickly as scientific
knowledge develops.
Acheson said the recent outbreaks related to tainted produce
have focused government and industry on improving food safety,
but he added it's important to have "100 percent compliance.
As we've seen, you don't need a large area of land to produce
enough produce to make lots of people sick."
___________________________________________________
Gene Factory Farmers respond to Organic Spinach outbreak:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2006/sep/25/spinach-incident-raises-nagging-safety-questions/
At the Grow America Project, an Indianapolis-based support group
for big agriculture funded by Monsanto, Elanco, Countrymark, the
National Pork Board and others, the spinach incident has called attention
to what's right about American agriculture.
"On the whole, we believe the most powerful benefits for consumers
and the public at-large come from commercial grade agriculture,"
said Grow America President Brose McVey.
Scientists cross pigs with spinach:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1780541.stm
FDA hearing fails to discover cause of E. coli outbreak in spinach
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/16942404.htm
Mar 20, 2007
OAKLAND, Calif. - Despite an unprecedented investigation over
the last six months, federal and state health officials said
Tuesday that it is unlikely they will ever pinpoint the exact
cause of bacterial contamination that caused a nationwide outbreak
of illness from tainted spinach last year.
The disclosure, just weeks before a final report on the
investigation is expected to be released, came at a hearing
where representatives from consumer groups and a national trade
association for the produce industry called on the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration to set mandatory rules to
assure that fruit and vegetables are safe to eat.
FDA and state health officials, however, said they favor
voluntary guidelines and industry self-policing, including a
set of standards that California growers are expected
to adopt next week. The government officials said they would
not rule out mandatory regulation in the future.
Growing and packing practices need to improve said
Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer for the
FDA's food safety office. But he also warned
that another outbreak of food-borne illness will likely occur.
"We're never going to get to the point of zero risk,"
he told reporters during a break from the day-long hearing,
convened by his agency to get public input on ways to improve
food safety. "Is this likely to happen again? Yes."
And not solving the mystery makes it harder for farmers,
trying to prevent future outbreaks. Hank Giclas of the
Western Growers Association said farmers would like to
know how the contamination occurred so they can reduce
the chance of it happening again.
The investigation by state and federal health officials
led them to a single 50-acre field in San Benito County
where spinach tainted with the deadly E. coli
O157:H7 bacteria was grown last summer.
Investigators said the bacteria on the tainted spinach,
which killed at least three people and sickened 200
more nationwide, genetically matched bacteria
they found in samples of cow manure in a nearby pasture,
as well as water in a nearby stream and at least
one wild pig in the area.
This was the first time investigators have been able
trace an outbreak of foodborne illness to a single field,
but they couldn't determine exactly how the
bacteria came into contact with the spinach.
The spinach in last fall's outbreak was processed by
Natural Selection Food in San Juan Bautista and sold
under the Dole label in supermarkets nationwide.
Officials have said they would not name the farm
where the spinach was grown until their report
is released. An attorney representing dozens of people who
became ill last fall has said in court papers
that the suspect spinach was grown by a company
called Mission Organics.
Critics complained Tuesday that the government has not done enough.
"How many more deadly outbreaks must there be?"
asked Elisa Odabashian. The West Coast director of
Consumers Union said that the government has
abdicated its responsibility by relying on the
produce industry to police itself.
A spokesman for a major trade association also called
on the FDA to impose mandatory rules for growers and
packagers nationwide. James Gorny, a vice president
for the United Fresh Produce Association, which represents
large produce firms, praised the efforts undertaken
so far by government and industry. But he said his
group believes the only way to restore consumer confidence
is for the federal government to set consistent standards
and enforce them.
Acheson, however, echoed spokesmen for the
Western Growers Association, who argue that devising
regulations is a cumbersome process. Giclas argued
that the industry can develop its own list of
`best practices' and revise them quickly as scientific
knowledge develops.
Acheson said the recent outbreaks related to tainted produce
have focused government and industry on improving food safety,
but he added it's important to have "100 percent compliance.
As we've seen, you don't need a large area of land to produce
enough produce to make lots of people sick."
___________________________________________________
Gene Factory Farmers respond to Organic Spinach outbreak:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2006/sep/25/spinach-incident-raises-nagging-safety-questions/
At the Grow America Project, an Indianapolis-based support group
for big agriculture funded by Monsanto, Elanco, Countrymark, the
National Pork Board and others, the spinach incident has called attention
to what's right about American agriculture.
"On the whole, we believe the most powerful benefits for consumers
and the public at-large come from commercial grade agriculture,"
said Grow America President Brose McVey.
Scientists cross pigs with spinach:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1780541.stm
