Florez upset exact source of E. coli not known

The Bakersfield Californian | Tuesday, Sep 18 2007
11:25 PM

Last Updated: Tuesday, Sep 18 2007 11:29 PM

State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, expressed
frustration Tuesday that a year after deadly E. coli
outbreaks, there's no system to immediately identify
where contaminated produce came from.

Florez has asked for -- and says he's still waiting to
hear back on -- the source of lettuce responsible for
a recent international recall of U.S.-grown Dole-brand
bagged salad mix.

"Dole was on TV in California this spring saying they
had a computer chip in each box that would allow them
to trace a head of lettuce to a 30-by-50-foot space
within a field, yet here we are days into a recall
impacting industry and consumers in two nations, and
we have only narrowed the source down to three
states," he said in a news release. "There is quite a
bit of discrepancy between what consumers are being
promised and what is being delivered when it comes to
food safety."

Last year, Florez wrote legislation establishing
standards for best agricultural practices, increasing
field inspections and starting a traceback system.

The leafy green industry instead argued for a
"voluntary food safety program" and an Assembly
committee shelved legislation to give industry a
chance to self-regulate, he said.


http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/239923.html