Spinach recall highlights both sides of safety issues
By MARIE VASARI
Herald Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 08/31/2007 01:32:48 AM PDT
Depending on whom you ask, the recall this week of 8,118 cases of Metz Fresh bagged spinach is either an indication that the safeguards in the nation's food chain are solidly in place or dismally lacking.
No illnesses have been reported in the recall, which centers around 68,000 pounds of spinach grown and shipped by King City-based Metz Fresh LLC.
But several lawmakers point to the recall as evidence that voluntary compliance measures on the part of the industry are inadequate.
State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, and U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, issued statements Thursday calling for legislative action to regulate growers.
Harkin, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, said he would introduce legislation to establish more federal oversight of food safety practices to reduce food-borne illnesses.
"With the memory of last summer's massive E. coli outbreak in spinach still fresh in our minds, Americans are once again being hit by a large-scale recall of bagged spinach," he said. "This is a food safety concern for consumers who wonder if it is OK to serve this produce to their families and an agricultural concern for growers who face another blow to sales of their product."
Kate Cyrul, a spokesman for the senator, said he is drafting legislation similar to a bill he introduced in 1996 calling for a national framework for produce oversight, shifting the responsibility from growers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That legislation could be introduced as early as next month, she said.
Sen. Florez also weighed in, drafting a letter to A.G. Kawamura, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
As chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Food-borne Illness, Florez introduced legislation following last year's spinach recall, when an E. coli outbreak killed three people and sickened hundreds.
His legislation would have mandated what his office described as an improved inspection process and efficient traceback system, but the bill was shelved by the Assembly Agriculture Committee, which opted to wait and see how the industry fared in its attempts to self-regulate.
Florez cited what he called "the industry's previous lack of response to repeated outbreaks and calls for action from the federal Food and Drug Administration."
In his letter, he questioned the effectiveness of a voluntary system that allowed leafy greens contaminated with salmonella to make it to store shelves, despite the fact that Metz Fresh was a signatory to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement program, under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Food and Agriculture.
"This raises serious questions regarding the effectiveness of the current food safety program and signals the need for stronger regulation on the part of government," he wrote.
He called upon Kawamura and Metz Fresh to better explain how contaminated spinach was not identified prior to distribution, whether the company had been inspected pursuant to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement and what penalties its board would take in light of the incident.
"I guess the biggest question anybody should have is this: Are we any better than we were last year?" said Florez by phone from Sacramento. "This sounds very reminiscent of last year, so really nothing has changed other than what we call a catch-up policy."
He questions how a member of the marketing agreement could allow contaminated product, in any amount, to get into consumers' hands and said he wants the marketing agreement's stamp to provide an iron-clad guarantee that the product is safe.
"The choice really is about a mandatory approach that says when we put the seal of approval on it, it means that when you open the bag, it means it is ready to eat and not contaminated," he said.
"The question is, what's the penalty, and where is the Department of Health Services in this process?" he said. "Let's face it: These guys didn't want regulators in their fields."
The only guarantee, according to Florez, is to increase public accountability by changing voluntary practices into statute. Florez said he'd call a hearing to address the food safety issue within the next 10 days.
But Scott Horsfal, CEO of the California Leafy Green Marketing Agreement, said the government already oversees the industry's practices.
"The inspections are done by California Department of Food and Agriculture inspectors, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, so it is government inspectors," he said. "This program was designed so that it does have government involvement."
While the industry provides funding for the program, its 10 inspectors are California Department of Food and Agriculture employees, trained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he said.
Metz Fresh, as a produce handler, had already been inspected several times and its practices audited for conformity, he said.
Jim Bogart, president and general counsel for the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, also dismissed the criticism as misguided.
"To assert that indicates to me that they are uninformed, or misinformed as to how this marketing agreement works," said Bogart, "because it is the government, not the industry, that conducts the audits and implements the verification process for compliance with the standards."
State and federal officials spent much of Thursday at Watsonville Produce, Inc., the Moss Landing processing plant Metz Fresh contracts with for production. The state health agency was contacted Tuesday when Metz Fresh received confirmation of its test results, she said.
Suann Buggy, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health, said public health inspectors conducted an investigation of the processing plant Thursday and found no violations. Officials will continue with the verification of test results and examination of company records, she said.
Sold under the Metz Fresh label, the spinach was sold to retail outlets and food service providers in 48 states and Canada in 10-ounce and 16-ounce bags, as well as in 4-pound cartons and in 2.5-pound four-pack cartons, with tracking codes 12208114, 12208214 and 12208314.
Metz Fresh did not release information on the value of the recalled spinach.
But the losses from those 8,118 recalled cases, amounting to 68,000 pounds of spinach, pales in comparison to last year's spinach recall. Spinach production values for the county dropped 41 percent — a loss of $77 million — according to the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner's 2006 Crop Report as compared to the previous year.
Metz Fresh grows and packages fresh spinach primarily for food service consumers, including wholesalers, with about 25 percent of its bagged spinach products shipped directly to retail establishments.
Routine testing by an independent lab, BSK Food and Diary, detected the presence of salmonella bacteria in one of three production lines Aug. 24 at a contracted processing facility in Watsonville. Further testing confirmed those results late Tuesday.
More than 90 percent of that spinach was held back before it reached consumers, according to company spokesman Greg Larsen, and the company's labeling and tracking systems allowed the company to keep the vast majority of the spinach out of the hands of the public.
Spinach grower Dick Peixoto said the calls for more government oversight were unnecessary. In his opinion, the measures growers are taking under the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement work just fine.
"They're trying to make an issue where there is no issue," said Peixoto, who grows organic spinach in Watsonville.
"All I can say is, I don't know why they're calling for more regulation when the system worked," he said. "Nobody got any tainted spinach, nobody got sick. They found it in the plant."
http://www.montereyherald.com/ci_6767470
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Food safety observers react to latest recall
By DAWN WITHERS
The Salinas Californian
Tough new food safety precautions and produce-tracking systems implemented last year after a fatal E. coli outbreak may have prevented sicknesses when salmonella-tainted spinach was recalled from stores this week.
Jim Bogart, president of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, said the fact that King City-based Metz Fresh was able to identify the latest problem, stop most of the spinach in the shipping process and quickly alert customers proves the industry safeguards have been successful.
"This is what we want to see," he said.
As more produce companies conduct more testing for contamination, more recalls and outbreaks will be announced, said University of California researcher Trevor Suslow, who worked closely with the industry in developing the marketing agreement's safety rules.
"I think the test of the industry is how we react to these types of situations," said Joseph Pezzini, vice president of operations for Ocean Mist Farms in Castroville.
Pezzini chairs the board that established and administers the new produce safety rules.
"No one was harmed by the product," he said, "and that's important."
But Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, questioned why it took so long for Metz Fresh to confirm its first positive test for salmonella.
"I can't imagine why the confirmatory test would have taken from Friday to Wednesday," she said. "Confirmatory tests can be run within 24, maximum 48 hours."
Metz Fresh officials did not immediately return an Associated Press call seeking further comment Thursday.
Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at the Consumers Union, faulted the produce industry for resisting mandatory government regulations and instead enacting its own leafy green marketing agreement.
"The spinach industry has set up this whole system that was going to prevent these problems," she said.
"Yet we have this kind of problem again."
Metz Fresh is "certainly to be commended for detecting the problem and issuing the recall, but why wasn't the system set up to test this before it left the plant," said Halloran, whose nonprofit organization tests food and provides information about threats to consumers.
State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, said the Metz Fresh recall demonstrates the marketing agreement is flawed.
Florez has been an outspoken critic of the new food safety rules and has called for state regulation of salad producers. Leafy greens handlers sign the existing agreement only voluntarily.
His legislation to put state health officials in charge of a mandatory food-safety program for leafy greens has stalled in the state Assembly.
Florez said he plans to hold a hearing on the product recall in Salinas next month.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS contributed to this report. Contact Dawn Withers at withers@thecalifornian.com.
http://www.thecalifornian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070831/NEWS01/708310315/1002
The Salinas Californian
Tough new food safety precautions and produce-tracking systems implemented last year after a fatal E. coli outbreak may have prevented sicknesses when salmonella-tainted spinach was recalled from stores this week.
Jim Bogart, president of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, said the fact that King City-based Metz Fresh was able to identify the latest problem, stop most of the spinach in the shipping process and quickly alert customers proves the industry safeguards have been successful.
"This is what we want to see," he said.
As more produce companies conduct more testing for contamination, more recalls and outbreaks will be announced, said University of California researcher Trevor Suslow, who worked closely with the industry in developing the marketing agreement's safety rules.
"I think the test of the industry is how we react to these types of situations," said Joseph Pezzini, vice president of operations for Ocean Mist Farms in Castroville.
Pezzini chairs the board that established and administers the new produce safety rules.
"No one was harmed by the product," he said, "and that's important."
But Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, questioned why it took so long for Metz Fresh to confirm its first positive test for salmonella.
"I can't imagine why the confirmatory test would have taken from Friday to Wednesday," she said. "Confirmatory tests can be run within 24, maximum 48 hours."
Metz Fresh officials did not immediately return an Associated Press call seeking further comment Thursday.
Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at the Consumers Union, faulted the produce industry for resisting mandatory government regulations and instead enacting its own leafy green marketing agreement.
"The spinach industry has set up this whole system that was going to prevent these problems," she said.
"Yet we have this kind of problem again."
Metz Fresh is "certainly to be commended for detecting the problem and issuing the recall, but why wasn't the system set up to test this before it left the plant," said Halloran, whose nonprofit organization tests food and provides information about threats to consumers.
State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, said the Metz Fresh recall demonstrates the marketing agreement is flawed.
Florez has been an outspoken critic of the new food safety rules and has called for state regulation of salad producers. Leafy greens handlers sign the existing agreement only voluntarily.
His legislation to put state health officials in charge of a mandatory food-safety program for leafy greens has stalled in the state Assembly.
Florez said he plans to hold a hearing on the product recall in Salinas next month.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS contributed to this report. Contact Dawn Withers at withers@thecalifornian.com.
http://www.thecalifornian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070831/NEWS01/708310315/1002
Spinach recall sparks oversight calls
By GARANCE BURKE
08/30/07 16:09:36
Related Content
Metz Fresh LLC Consumer advocates and some lawmakers say that a Salinas Valley company's recall of spinach because of a salmonella scare shows that the federal government must do more to protect the nation's food supply, but industry officials call it proof that their voluntary regulations are working.
Metz Fresh, a King City-based grower and shipper, recalled 8,000 cartons of fresh spinach Wednesday after salmonella was found during a routine test of spinach it was processing for shipment. More than 90 percent of the possibly contaminated cartons never reached stores, company spokesman Greg Larson said.
California's leafy greens industry adopted the voluntary regulations last year after a fatal E. coli outbreak, but advocates said a national, mandatory inspection and testing program overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is needed.
"Eight thousand cartons left the plant for distribution in the U.S. That's 8,000 too many," said Jean Halloran, a food safety expert with Consumers Union. "At this point, we are relying on the leafy green industry to police itself."
Some growers said Metz Fresh's ability to catch the bacteria showed that the new testing regimes are working. No illnesses have been reported from eating spinach linked to the company.
"I think the test of the industry is how we react to these types of situations," said grower Joseph Pezzini, who heads the board that administers the new produce safety rules. "No one was harmed by the product and that's important."
Larsen said the recalled spinach, which was picked Aug. 22, had tested negative in earlier field and production tests. Metz Fresh began telling stores and restaurants on Aug. 24 not to sell or serve the lettuce after a first round of tests came up positive.
"The first thing we are looking at right now is making sure this product, as much as possible, is under our control," he said. "The next step is to back up and take a hard look at how this happened."
Metz Fresh has complied with the California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement, a set of voluntary food safety rules drafted after last year's E. coli outbreak in fresh spinach killed three people and sickened 200. By joining the program, participants also agree to have their fields and plants checked for compliance.
In two separate plant and field visits earlier this month, California auditors found no signs of danger at Metz Fresh, said Scott Horsfall, who oversees the industry-sponsored program.
"I'm not trying to put a pretty face on it, but the overall system is working very well," Horsfall said. "Consumers can have a high degree of confidence in this product, notwithstanding this recent problem."
But some legislators said the latest recall showed the FDA had yet to improve a patchwork produce safety system critics believe is vastly understaffed and poorly monitored.
"This in no way should be seen as a success story," said state Sen. Dean Florez, who chairs a committee on food-borne illnesses. He said that Metz Fresh should have caught the salmonella before any of its spinach reached consumers, and that he has written the state's agriculture secretary demanding answers about "this breakdown in California's food safety system."
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is crafting legislation that would set up national food safety practices for growing and processing fresh produce that run the highest risk of causing food-borne illnesses.
"This is a food safety concern for consumers who wonder if it is OK to serve this produce to their families, and it is an agricultural concern for growers who face another blow to sales of their product," said Harkin, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. "It is long overdue for the FDA to exercise more oversight of food safety practices."
FDA and state public health officials said Thursday they were investigating the company's records, tests and products.
The recall covers 10- and 16-ounce bags, as well as 4-pound cartons and cartons that contain four, 2.5-pound bags, with the following tracking codes: 12208114, 12208214 and 12208314.
The California Department of Public Health and the Food And Drug Administration are investigating the Metz Fresh processing facility in King City.
Salmonella sickens about 40,000 people a year in the U.S. and kills about 600.
08/30/07 16:09:36
Related Content
Metz Fresh LLC Consumer advocates and some lawmakers say that a Salinas Valley company's recall of spinach because of a salmonella scare shows that the federal government must do more to protect the nation's food supply, but industry officials call it proof that their voluntary regulations are working.
Metz Fresh, a King City-based grower and shipper, recalled 8,000 cartons of fresh spinach Wednesday after salmonella was found during a routine test of spinach it was processing for shipment. More than 90 percent of the possibly contaminated cartons never reached stores, company spokesman Greg Larson said.
California's leafy greens industry adopted the voluntary regulations last year after a fatal E. coli outbreak, but advocates said a national, mandatory inspection and testing program overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is needed.
"Eight thousand cartons left the plant for distribution in the U.S. That's 8,000 too many," said Jean Halloran, a food safety expert with Consumers Union. "At this point, we are relying on the leafy green industry to police itself."
Some growers said Metz Fresh's ability to catch the bacteria showed that the new testing regimes are working. No illnesses have been reported from eating spinach linked to the company.
"I think the test of the industry is how we react to these types of situations," said grower Joseph Pezzini, who heads the board that administers the new produce safety rules. "No one was harmed by the product and that's important."
Larsen said the recalled spinach, which was picked Aug. 22, had tested negative in earlier field and production tests. Metz Fresh began telling stores and restaurants on Aug. 24 not to sell or serve the lettuce after a first round of tests came up positive.
"The first thing we are looking at right now is making sure this product, as much as possible, is under our control," he said. "The next step is to back up and take a hard look at how this happened."
Metz Fresh has complied with the California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement, a set of voluntary food safety rules drafted after last year's E. coli outbreak in fresh spinach killed three people and sickened 200. By joining the program, participants also agree to have their fields and plants checked for compliance.
In two separate plant and field visits earlier this month, California auditors found no signs of danger at Metz Fresh, said Scott Horsfall, who oversees the industry-sponsored program.
"I'm not trying to put a pretty face on it, but the overall system is working very well," Horsfall said. "Consumers can have a high degree of confidence in this product, notwithstanding this recent problem."
But some legislators said the latest recall showed the FDA had yet to improve a patchwork produce safety system critics believe is vastly understaffed and poorly monitored.
"This in no way should be seen as a success story," said state Sen. Dean Florez, who chairs a committee on food-borne illnesses. He said that Metz Fresh should have caught the salmonella before any of its spinach reached consumers, and that he has written the state's agriculture secretary demanding answers about "this breakdown in California's food safety system."
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is crafting legislation that would set up national food safety practices for growing and processing fresh produce that run the highest risk of causing food-borne illnesses.
"This is a food safety concern for consumers who wonder if it is OK to serve this produce to their families, and it is an agricultural concern for growers who face another blow to sales of their product," said Harkin, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. "It is long overdue for the FDA to exercise more oversight of food safety practices."
FDA and state public health officials said Thursday they were investigating the company's records, tests and products.
The recall covers 10- and 16-ounce bags, as well as 4-pound cartons and cartons that contain four, 2.5-pound bags, with the following tracking codes: 12208114, 12208214 and 12208314.
The California Department of Public Health and the Food And Drug Administration are investigating the Metz Fresh processing facility in King City.
Salmonella sickens about 40,000 people a year in the U.S. and kills about 600.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Senator Florez Letter to Secretary of Food & Agriculture
Senator Dean Florez, D-Shafter, today wrote to A.G. Kawamura, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture to express his concerns over the recent distribution of lettuce contaminated with salmonella to 48 states and Canada. Florez is the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Food-borne Illness and introduced legislation in the wake of deadly 2006 E. coli outbreaks linked to California leafy greens which would have mandated an improved inspection process and efficient traceback system. That legislation was shelved by the Assembly Agriculture Committee, which opted to wait and see how industry faired in its attempts to self-regulate, despite the industry’s previous lack of response to repeated outbreaks and calls for action from the federal Food and Drug Administration.
In his letter, Florez questions how the contaminated produce made it to store shelves before the danger was caught if leafy greens are being inspected as promised under the voluntary Leafy Green Marketing Agreement to which the distributor in question, Metz Fresh, is a signatory. Below is a copy of Florez’s letter to Kawamura.
***Letter Below***
August 30, 2007
A.G. Kawamura
Secretary
California Dept. of Food & Agriculture
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Secretary Kawamura:
I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the recent distribution of spinach contaminated with salmonella from a California farm. I understand that the contaminated spinach originated from Metz Fresh, which is a signatory to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement program, which is under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Nearly one year has passed since the devastating E. coli outbreak from California grown spinach, and it is clear that California’s food safety measures are lacking, as is evidenced by the fact that we continue to distribute contaminated produce across the United States and Canada. Most troubling is the fact that, according to reports in the Bakersfield Californian, contaminated spinach was placed on shelves and was available for sale to consumers. This raises serious questions regarding the effectiveness of the current food safety program and signals the need for stronger regulation on the part of government.
In light of this incident it is necessary and appropriate for the Committee to better understand the current status of the food safety measures in place under the Leafy Green Marketing agreement. Accordingly, please provide the Committee with the following information:
1) An explanation as to why the contaminated spinach was not identified prior to being distributed to retailers and/or commercial food establishments and, more importantly, why it was not identified prior to being made available for purchase by consumers.
2) Whether the packaging containing the contaminated spinach bears the official seal of the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement. In the event that the packaging does not bear the seal, please provide an explanation as to why, given that the seal is the only manner for consumers to identify whether a grower is a signatory to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement and was touted as a cornerstone of the agreement.
3) Whether Metz Fresh has been inspected pursuant to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement. If so, please provide the date of the inspection and the results of the investigation, detailing any violations or shortcomings identified. Please provide any documents generated during the inspection process.
4) What specific actions will be taken by the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement in light of this incident.
5) The current status of the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement inspection and compliance program, including what percentage of processors and growers have been inspected to date, and the results of these inspections.
Given the seriousness of this breakdown in California’s food safety system please provide a response no later than 1 p.m. on Friday, August 31, 2007.
Sincerely,
DEAN FLOREZ
Chair, Senate Select Committee on Food-Borne Illness
In his letter, Florez questions how the contaminated produce made it to store shelves before the danger was caught if leafy greens are being inspected as promised under the voluntary Leafy Green Marketing Agreement to which the distributor in question, Metz Fresh, is a signatory. Below is a copy of Florez’s letter to Kawamura.
***Letter Below***
August 30, 2007
A.G. Kawamura
Secretary
California Dept. of Food & Agriculture
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Secretary Kawamura:
I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the recent distribution of spinach contaminated with salmonella from a California farm. I understand that the contaminated spinach originated from Metz Fresh, which is a signatory to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement program, which is under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Nearly one year has passed since the devastating E. coli outbreak from California grown spinach, and it is clear that California’s food safety measures are lacking, as is evidenced by the fact that we continue to distribute contaminated produce across the United States and Canada. Most troubling is the fact that, according to reports in the Bakersfield Californian, contaminated spinach was placed on shelves and was available for sale to consumers. This raises serious questions regarding the effectiveness of the current food safety program and signals the need for stronger regulation on the part of government.
In light of this incident it is necessary and appropriate for the Committee to better understand the current status of the food safety measures in place under the Leafy Green Marketing agreement. Accordingly, please provide the Committee with the following information:
1) An explanation as to why the contaminated spinach was not identified prior to being distributed to retailers and/or commercial food establishments and, more importantly, why it was not identified prior to being made available for purchase by consumers.
2) Whether the packaging containing the contaminated spinach bears the official seal of the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement. In the event that the packaging does not bear the seal, please provide an explanation as to why, given that the seal is the only manner for consumers to identify whether a grower is a signatory to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement and was touted as a cornerstone of the agreement.
3) Whether Metz Fresh has been inspected pursuant to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement. If so, please provide the date of the inspection and the results of the investigation, detailing any violations or shortcomings identified. Please provide any documents generated during the inspection process.
4) What specific actions will be taken by the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement in light of this incident.
5) The current status of the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement inspection and compliance program, including what percentage of processors and growers have been inspected to date, and the results of these inspections.
Given the seriousness of this breakdown in California’s food safety system please provide a response no later than 1 p.m. on Friday, August 31, 2007.
Sincerely,
DEAN FLOREZ
Chair, Senate Select Committee on Food-Borne Illness
Spinach recalled over salmonella fears
No immediate reports of illness linked to tainted product from California
The Associated Press
Updated: 12:38 p.m. PT Aug 29, 2007
WASHINGTON - A California produce company recalled bagged fresh spinach Wednesday after it tested positive for salmonella.
There were no immediate reports of illness linked to the tainted spinach, distributed by Metz Fresh LLC of King City, Calif. The recall comes nearly a year after an outbreak of another pathogen, E. coli, in fresh spinach killed three people and sickened another 200.
The recalled spinach was distributed throughout the 48 states and Canada and sold in both retail and food service packages. It covers 8,118 cases of spinach, although the company said more than 90 percent of that was on hold and would not be released.
While only a single sample from one of three packing lines tested positive for salmonella, the company said it moved to recall all the spinach packed that same day as a precaution.
The recall covers 10- and 16-ounce bags, as well as 4-pound cartons and cartons that contain four 2.5-pound bags, with the following tracking codes: 12208114, 12208214 and 12208314.
Consumers with questions can contact Metz Fresh at 831-386-1018.
Last year’s E. coli outbreak prompted the Food and Drug Administration to warn Americans not to eat fresh bagged spinach. It later lifted that warning after tracing the contamination to spinach processed and packed by Natural Selection Foods LLC in San Juan Bautista, Calif.
The incident prompted stricter monitoring procedures by growers and processors and stepped-up inspections by California health officials.
Salmonella sickens about 40,000 people a year in the U.S. and kills about 600. It can cause diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting. Most cases of salmonella poisoning are caused by undercooked eggs and chicken.
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20498998/
Consumers Again Faced With Spinach Recall
California Produce Company Announces Tainted Spinach
POSTED: 9:31 am PDT August 30, 2007
UPDATED: 10:12 am PDT August 30, 2007
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Health officials are warning Californians about another spinach recall, this time because of salmonella.
Metz Fresh LLC of King City, Calif., is recalling bags of fresh spinach after routine testing found traces of salmonella.
There have been no reports of people getting sick.
The recalled spinach was sold in 10- and 16-ounce bags, and 2 1/2- and 4-pound cartons in the U.S. and Canada with the following tracking codes: 12208114, 12208214 and 12208314.
Consumers with questions can contact Metz Fresh at 831-386-1018.
If you bought the potentially tainted spinach, throw it away or return to the store where you purchased the item.
Last year's spinach recall was over Natural Selection Foods LLC product being tainted with E-coli.
http://www.turnto23.com/news/14012849/detail.html?treets=bak&tid=2658311549813&tml=bak_4pm&tmi=bak_4pm_1_06000408302007&ts=H
POSTED: 9:31 am PDT August 30, 2007
UPDATED: 10:12 am PDT August 30, 2007
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Health officials are warning Californians about another spinach recall, this time because of salmonella.
Metz Fresh LLC of King City, Calif., is recalling bags of fresh spinach after routine testing found traces of salmonella.
There have been no reports of people getting sick.
The recalled spinach was sold in 10- and 16-ounce bags, and 2 1/2- and 4-pound cartons in the U.S. and Canada with the following tracking codes: 12208114, 12208214 and 12208314.
Consumers with questions can contact Metz Fresh at 831-386-1018.
If you bought the potentially tainted spinach, throw it away or return to the store where you purchased the item.
Last year's spinach recall was over Natural Selection Foods LLC product being tainted with E-coli.
http://www.turnto23.com/news/14012849/detail.html?treets=bak&tid=2658311549813&tml=bak_4pm&tmi=bak_4pm_1_06000408302007&ts=H
Friday, August 3, 2007
Focus, Proactivity Key To U.S. FDA Food
Medical News Today: Focus, Proactivity Key To U.S. FDA Food Safety
In addition to an increasing amount of food products streaming into the country from an ever-expanding global market, consumers' expectations of safe food are also changing.
"Consumers demand a lot," said Acheson. "They are driving the global market and they want fresh, safe food 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
A head of lettuce that requires at-home washing is off consumers' wish lists, he said. They want their lettuce shredded, bagged and delivered, and this shift in consumer habits is "adding a new dimension to potential food safety problems."
Acheson emphasized that communication with local agencies is crucial to getting the job done.
"We still have one of the safest food supplies in the world. Overall the
rate of foodborne illness and outbreaks are unchanged," he said, but consumers lack confidence that their food is still not as safe as it can be.
He attributes this dilemma to "getting the word out faster," adding that news media has been helpful in the effort to remove contaminated products from the shelf but not in "closing the loop in communication" to give the public follow-up coverage on the outcome.
"The media have to acknowledge that there is responsibility in industry."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/78554.php
In addition to an increasing amount of food products streaming into the country from an ever-expanding global market, consumers' expectations of safe food are also changing.
"Consumers demand a lot," said Acheson. "They are driving the global market and they want fresh, safe food 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
A head of lettuce that requires at-home washing is off consumers' wish lists, he said. They want their lettuce shredded, bagged and delivered, and this shift in consumer habits is "adding a new dimension to potential food safety problems."
Acheson emphasized that communication with local agencies is crucial to getting the job done.
"We still have one of the safest food supplies in the world. Overall the
rate of foodborne illness and outbreaks are unchanged," he said, but consumers lack confidence that their food is still not as safe as it can be.
He attributes this dilemma to "getting the word out faster," adding that news media has been helpful in the effort to remove contaminated products from the shelf but not in "closing the loop in communication" to give the public follow-up coverage on the outcome.
"The media have to acknowledge that there is responsibility in industry."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/78554.php
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