Farr says efforts being made reduce chances of outbreaks
Farr says efforts being made reduce chances of outbreaks
SALINAS, CA -- Acknowledging that it isn't possible to give "zero tolerance" assurance that fresh produce always will be safe to eat, Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) told assembled reporters that farming and processing practices in the Salinas Valley and surrounding areas will be the most extensive in the industry following the recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in spinach.
When new protocols are initiated, the area will have the "best protocol for spinach and green leafy vegetables," Mr. Farr said. It's up to the industry -- not the federal government -- to craft new protocols, he said.
"We don't have a 'kill step' in fresh vegetables," Mr. Farr said, referring to a mechanism to freeze or boil fresh-picked produce in an effort to kill bacteria and other pathogens.
Mr. Farr said that the the U.S. Department of Agriculture is going to test animals -- including wild pigs -- for E. coli O157:H7 in an effort to determine reasons why the Salinas Valley has had more outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 since 1995 than any of other area of the nation.
E. coli O157:H7 emanates from livestock and wild animals. Fertilizer, water issues and processor regimens all are under scrutiny, Mr. Farr said.
Of the three counties investigated by the Food & Drug Administration in this E. coli O157:H7 outbreak -- San Benito, Santa Clara and Monterey -- only Monterey County lies in the Salinas Valley.
At the field level, FDA has narrowed its investigation to just four fields, though it has not divulged if all four fields are spread over San Benito, Santa Clara and Monterey counties. Previously, FDA had cited product in bags found to have E. coli O157:H7 as having been grown on any of nine farms spread over the three counties.
In a Sept. 29 release, FDA said that all spinach implicated in the outbreak has been traced back to Natural Selection Foods LLC of San Juan Bautista, CA.
"We'll see if we can find causes," Mr. Farr said. "Salinas Valley has been the gold standard for agriculture." He added that the Salinas Valley has "advanced to be the most sophisticated growing area in the United States."
The 120-mile long Salinas Valley has numerous distinct microclimates and grows 85 vegetables and fruits, more than anywhere else on the planet. Unknown is whether the unique microclimates of the Salinas Valley make it more susceptible to outbreaks of harmful pathogens, Mr. Farr said.
"There are no crop cops here," Mr. Farr said. "We do not have an inspector for every crop. There's no one spinach patch to guard and oversee."
Mr. Farr said that while the cause of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in spinach ultimately may not lie in the Salinas Valley, other E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have occurred here and the protocols being developed would benefit the Salinas Valley.
The Salinas Valley's impact in fresh produce is so significant to the nation that if the industry couldn't be kept viable here, the nation would have to rely on imported product to make up for the lost production, Mr. Farr said.
The Oct. 3 press conference held in Rep. Farr's office got off to an ironic start when the congressman's assistant couldn't find spinach in any of several Salinas-area supermarkets he checked to use as a photo prop, despite the Food & Drug Administration's having announced Sept. 29 that it had cleared spinach for sale with the exception of bags that were part of several recalls. Mr. Farr said that FDA expected to complete its data gathering by Oct. 6 and likely will issue its findings in a report by Oct. 13. The California Department of Health was expected to issue its report by Oct. 6 as well, Mr. Farr said.
Mr. Farr said there's a disaster bill in Congress that has not yet been passed by either chamber. Should it pass, the bill could bring financial relief to spinach growers who suffered losses in the recent outbreak. However, a small grower may have a more difficult time capturing that money than companies whose name appeared on the FDA's list of companies whose brands are packed by Natural Selection Foods. Any money from the disaster bill likely wouldn't be realized until late 2007, Mr. Farr said.
When new protocols are initiated, the area will have the "best protocol for spinach and green leafy vegetables," Mr. Farr said. It's up to the industry -- not the federal government -- to craft new protocols, he said.
"We don't have a 'kill step' in fresh vegetables," Mr. Farr said, referring to a mechanism to freeze or boil fresh-picked produce in an effort to kill bacteria and other pathogens.
Mr. Farr said that the the U.S. Department of Agriculture is going to test animals -- including wild pigs -- for E. coli O157:H7 in an effort to determine reasons why the Salinas Valley has had more outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 since 1995 than any of other area of the nation.
E. coli O157:H7 emanates from livestock and wild animals. Fertilizer, water issues and processor regimens all are under scrutiny, Mr. Farr said.
Of the three counties investigated by the Food & Drug Administration in this E. coli O157:H7 outbreak -- San Benito, Santa Clara and Monterey -- only Monterey County lies in the Salinas Valley.
At the field level, FDA has narrowed its investigation to just four fields, though it has not divulged if all four fields are spread over San Benito, Santa Clara and Monterey counties. Previously, FDA had cited product in bags found to have E. coli O157:H7 as having been grown on any of nine farms spread over the three counties.
In a Sept. 29 release, FDA said that all spinach implicated in the outbreak has been traced back to Natural Selection Foods LLC of San Juan Bautista, CA.
"We'll see if we can find causes," Mr. Farr said. "Salinas Valley has been the gold standard for agriculture." He added that the Salinas Valley has "advanced to be the most sophisticated growing area in the United States."
The 120-mile long Salinas Valley has numerous distinct microclimates and grows 85 vegetables and fruits, more than anywhere else on the planet. Unknown is whether the unique microclimates of the Salinas Valley make it more susceptible to outbreaks of harmful pathogens, Mr. Farr said.
"There are no crop cops here," Mr. Farr said. "We do not have an inspector for every crop. There's no one spinach patch to guard and oversee."
Mr. Farr said that while the cause of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in spinach ultimately may not lie in the Salinas Valley, other E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have occurred here and the protocols being developed would benefit the Salinas Valley.
The Salinas Valley's impact in fresh produce is so significant to the nation that if the industry couldn't be kept viable here, the nation would have to rely on imported product to make up for the lost production, Mr. Farr said.
The Oct. 3 press conference held in Rep. Farr's office got off to an ironic start when the congressman's assistant couldn't find spinach in any of several Salinas-area supermarkets he checked to use as a photo prop, despite the Food & Drug Administration's having announced Sept. 29 that it had cleared spinach for sale with the exception of bags that were part of several recalls. Mr. Farr said that FDA expected to complete its data gathering by Oct. 6 and likely will issue its findings in a report by Oct. 13. The California Department of Health was expected to issue its report by Oct. 6 as well, Mr. Farr said.
Mr. Farr said there's a disaster bill in Congress that has not yet been passed by either chamber. Should it pass, the bill could bring financial relief to spinach growers who suffered losses in the recent outbreak. However, a small grower may have a more difficult time capturing that money than companies whose name appeared on the FDA's list of companies whose brands are packed by Natural Selection Foods. Any money from the disaster bill likely wouldn't be realized until late 2007, Mr. Farr said.
