Who`s Inspecting The Fresh Produce?

Posted : Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:15:38 GMT

Author : Michael R. Machi

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/whos-inspecting-the-fresh-produce,447629.shtml

Last week I reported my best guess was Mexico as the origin for the latest Salmonella tomato dilemma.

Federal officials are now saying they may never know the source of the latest salmonella tainted tomatoes. So many things come to mind as I scan through the latest news or should I say lack of news.

Why is the FDA testing tomatoes out of Florida, after some officials said tomatoes out of Florida are safe to eat?


Is something very wrong here?

Besides every retailer and wholesale grocer recalling tomatoes to obviously avoid consumer backlash, just what is the outlined process for protecting the consumer?

I don't see anything that resembles a solution in place today. Currently, its an after the fact mess for the FDA to clean up every time an outbreak occurs, but that’s the "system" currently in place.

Eating a raw vegetable or piece of fruit is becoming a game of Russian roulette these days.

Salmonella bacteria live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals. The bacteria are transmitted to humans eating foods contaminated with animal feces.

Salmonella bacteria in tomato's have sickened 79,000 consumers since 1990. You would think something would be done to address vulnerability gaps in the current system and if that’s not possible then the best solution is to inspect ALL fresh produce "lots" for pathogens at the receivers warehouse before distribution to the consumer.


Take a look at the current USDA Quality Standards for fresh Tomatoes. Fresh, effective October 1, 1991…Please note these are only grading standards and the old effective dates.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5050331

Since we know 79,000 were sickened since 1990 eating raw tomatoes infected with salmonella, then why has the inspection process not changed to protect the food supply?

All fresh produce packed in the field must have a lot number, so it can be traced back to the field. Currently the USDA inspects produce for grading defects (some of which are insect infestation! Yes...it happens and often the product is sold to the consumer).......... If a receiver agrees to buy a load of produce for a firm price per carton and for some reason the product arrives in fair or poor condition, (or the receiver just feels like it) the receiver calls the local USDA office and orders an inspection. The USDA inspector pulls cartons from the load, inspects them for defects and documents individual lot numbers from the cartons. If the inspection indicates an excess of defects as per the USDA established tolerances, then it’s out of grade and the receiver faxes the inspection to the grower. The grower then has the choice to pull the load or have the receiver sell it for 15% commission (in most cases) then return the remaining proceeds to the grower.

Who pays for the inspection?

The receiver does and I have seen often enough where buyers/receivers inspect every load because it’s their objective to void the contracted price. When voided, they sell the load for any price per carton opposed to over the contracted price plus other costs. It limits their cost risk but also alienates the grower to some extent...while the receiver no longer has hard money involved, it’s free!
But it’s a very irresponsible way to do business. When I worked in the industry I properly projected my sales, equated waste and bought the best product I could find when available.

My point is the USDA is already inspecting produce for defects but its time the inspection process be updated. Someone has to pay for the inspections but the industry has to first stop dragging their feet and start inspecting fresh produce for pathogens. Just think of the current system in place and the fresh produce imported into the US. Fresh produce sitting in warehouses to be repacked at a later date is also reason for drastic changes in the inspection process.

Salmonella Tomato Origin May Never be Known

Jun 19, 2008

Federal officials are now saying they may never know

the source of the latest salmonella tainted tomatoes. So many things come to mind as I scan through the latest news or should I say lack of "news".

In addition to today’s news flash that the origin may never be found, the FDA continues to add States to the safe list, free of Salmonella tomatoes.

Is there something very wrong here or is it just me?

1. Why is the FDA testing tomatoes out of Florida, after some officials (well one terminal produce wholesaler president on TV comes to mind) have said tomatoes out of Florida are safe to eat?
2. Why is Northern Florida on the safe to eat list?
3. If you owned the farm where the tainted tomatoes were produced, do you think after several months you would have destroyed or dumped the evidence?
4. What are political leaders doing about this?

It’s all too confusing, even for me. Too many questions and very few answers.

What we do know is the FDA knows little as more people continue to be sickened. I think and other officials know its getting pretty late in the back tracking game to find the genetic fingerprint.

This week the FDA was attacked by a House panel for its handling of recent food-safety violations.

A White House official said the administration is forming a panel on import safety to be chaired by HHSS secretary Mike Leavitt.

"Speaking on condition of anonymity because the group has not been announced, the official said the panel will look for deficiencies and gaps in the system for inspecting imported products and report to President Bush within 60 days. The official said the panel is not aimed solely at China".

Sounds like something I have spent years pounding the table for.

Last week I spoke to an aide of Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations subcommittee.

I offered my expertise in the matter of food safety…..

All I can add at this time is my tomato plants are doing fine and I will patiently wait until they bare fruit to eat a raw tomatoes again.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Salmonella Tomatoes

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Last week I reported my best guess was Mexico as the origin for the latest Salmonella tomato dilemma.

This just in:

Today, Deborah Busemeyer, a spokeswoman for the New Mexico Department of Health stated., "Preliminary information" suggests that to be the case but at this time, the FDA's investigation does not confirm that.


Is it just me or is something wrong with the "system" here?

Besides every retailer and wholesale grocer recalling tomatoes to obviously avoid consumer backlash, just what is the outlined process for protecting the consumer?

I don't see anything that resembles a solution., its an after the fact mess for the FDA to clean up every time.

Thats the "system" currently in place. Totally after the fact and innocent people continue to become very ill. Eating a piece of fruit or vegetable is like playing Russian roulette these days.

Salmonella bacteria lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals. The bacteria are transmitted to humans eating foods contaminated with animal feces.

Salmonella bacteria in tomato's has sickened 79,000 consumers since 1990. You would think something would be done to address vulnerability gaps in the current system and if thats not possible then the best solution is to inspect ALL fresh produce "lots" for pathogens at the receivers warehouse before distribution to the consumer.

All fresh produce packed in the field must have a lot number, so it can be traced back to the field. Currently the USDA inspects produce for grading defects (some of which are insect infestation! Yes...it happens and often the product is still sold to the consumer).......... If a receiver agrees to buy a load of produce for a firm price per carton and for some reason the product arrives in fair or poor condition, (or the receiver just feels like it) the receiver calls the local USDA office and orders an inspection. The USDA inspector pulls cartons from the load, inspects them for defects and documents individual lot numbers from the cartons. If the inspection indicates an excess of defects as per the USDA established tolerances, then its out of grade and the receiver faxes the inspection to the grower. The grower then has the choice to pull the load or have the receiver sell it for 15% commission (in most cases) then return the remaining proceeds to the grower.

Who pays for the inspection?

The receiver does and I have seen often enough where buyers/receivers inspect every load because its their objective to void the contracted price. They then can sell the load for $1 a box opposed to a much higher price. It limits their risk but also alienates the grower...and they no longer have hard money involved, its free!

Its a very irresponsible way to do business. When I worked in the industry I properly projected my usage and just bought the best product I could find most of the time.

My point is the USDA is already there but the inspection process needs lots of updating. Someone has to pay for the the inspections but the industry has to first stop dragging their feet and start inspecting fresh produce for pathogens.

The buddy system between grower and receiver is old, outdated and it leaves the consumer wide open.

Salmonella From Raw Tomatoes AGAIN

June 4th, 2008

Another Salmonella outbreak responsible for more than 57 illnesses in New Mexico and Texas may have spread to many other states, and is linked to raw tomatoes. The FDA is trying to determine if the latest outbreak originated with tomatoes from one grower or one geographic area.

My best guess is Mexico and finding the grower and area is an extremely difficult backtracking task. Health authorities received reports of the 57 New Mexico and Texas Salmonella victims between April 23 and June 1.

April?

I just don’t understand why it’s not mandatory that tomatoes and other past infected fruits and vegetables be inspected properly. If the tomatoes were inspected for infection by the USDA at the receivers’ warehouse, the infection would have been minimal. The inspector documents the lot number on the infected carton and presto, it’s traced back to the shipper, grower and then field of origin.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that Salmonella from raw tomatoes has sickened as many as 79,000 people in 12 multi-state Salmonella outbreaks since 1990.

Take a look at the current USDA Quality Standards for fresh Tomatoes. Fresh, effective October 1, 1991…Please note that these are only grading standards and the effective date!

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateN&page=FreshMarketVegetableStandards

My question is since we know that 79,000 were sickened since 1990 eating raw tomatoes infected with salmonella, then why has the inspection process not changed to protect the food supply?

In my past post I wrote “In order to protect our food supply, we must address vulnerability gaps in our current system at any point along the distribution chain up to the consumer that would allow accidental contamination of fresh produce”

It’s long over due that raw fruits and vegetables be tested for pathogens like the E. coli bacteria, salmonella, listeria, shigella and hepatitis at the receivers’ warehouse. In 2006, three people died and hundreds got sick from E. coli-contaminated spinach.

Did you notice the effective date grade standards for spinach leaves?

December 27, 1946!

That’s just insane and most consumers don’t have a clue because they never worked in the industry.

Stay Tuned.