FDA hearing furthers discussion of food-safety issues
FDA hearing furthers discussion of food-safety issues
OAKLAND, CA -- The first public hearing convened by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration since the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with fresh spinach in September offered little new information about the outbreak more than six months ago, but it furthered the food-safety discussion among many of the usual industry representatives.
The food-safety hearing, which gave special attention to leafy green vegetables, drew a moderate turnout of grower-shippers, industry trade association representatives, consumer groups and the public to the Ronald Dellums Federal Building, here. Public comments were received by a six- member panel of FDA officials.
It was the candor of one FDA official that offered some revealing insights. David Acheson, director of the FDA's Office of Food Defense, Communication & Emergency Response, told members of the media during a lunch break that "there's a distinct possibility of an outbreak in leafy greens" in 2007, especially if statistics hold true.
"I'd be fooling consumers if I said, 'problem solved,'" Mr. Acheson said, adding that while growing and packing practices need to improve, the E. coli outbreak in spinach didn't make him any more aware of attendant food- safety issues in leafy greens.
He said that FDA's involvement "pre-dates spinach," and that while the E. coli outbreak in spinach was serious, it represented "one more statistic in leafy greens outbreaks."
The ability to trace back product has improved, Mr. Acheson noted, and he pointed to the strawberry industry as an example. "The goal is to narrow the [traceback] issue as quickly as possible," he said.
Mr. Acheson also told the media that the long-awaited final report by the FDA and the state Department of Health Services on the E. coli outbreak in spinach "may come out in the next week." He said that the exact cause of the E. coli outbreak in spinach likely would never be determined -- a stance that has long been held by industry officials since the outbreak.
One of the few voices of strong discord at the March 20 hearing was that of Elisa Odabashian, director of the West Coast office of Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports. Ms. Odabashian told the panel that the fresh produce industry's efforts toward self-regulation have failed the consumer and that government needs to step in with mandatory regulations.
However, FDA and state health officials reiterated their stance favoring voluntary guidelines and industry self-policing, which include a set of standards that California growers were expected to adopt the week of March 26.
James Gorny, senior vice president of food safety for the United Fresh Produce Association, said that the industry needs consistent produce food- safety standards. He told the panel that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is a strong industry ally, and that the FDA must have relationships with the USDA and other agencies and must use its authority already in place to mandate food-safety standards.
"Fear has no place in a produce department," Dr. Gorny said.
California Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) was another dissenting voice. Mr. Florez reiterated his previous comments opposing the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement. About 90 percent of the leafy greens production volume is currently represented by the marketing agreement. Among the stipulations of the voluntary marketing agreement, which takes effect April 1, is a mandate that handlers comply with the latest good agricultural practices and that they buy greens only from growers who follow a set of safety practices.
Mr. Florez has three bills pending to mandate state food-safety regulations for California growers.
A public hearing similar to the one held March 20 will take place April 6 in College Park, MD. Following that hearing, the FDA's role in minimizing outbreaks in fresh produce is expected to take further shape.
The food-safety hearing, which gave special attention to leafy green vegetables, drew a moderate turnout of grower-shippers, industry trade association representatives, consumer groups and the public to the Ronald Dellums Federal Building, here. Public comments were received by a six- member panel of FDA officials.
It was the candor of one FDA official that offered some revealing insights. David Acheson, director of the FDA's Office of Food Defense, Communication & Emergency Response, told members of the media during a lunch break that "there's a distinct possibility of an outbreak in leafy greens" in 2007, especially if statistics hold true.
"I'd be fooling consumers if I said, 'problem solved,'" Mr. Acheson said, adding that while growing and packing practices need to improve, the E. coli outbreak in spinach didn't make him any more aware of attendant food- safety issues in leafy greens.
He said that FDA's involvement "pre-dates spinach," and that while the E. coli outbreak in spinach was serious, it represented "one more statistic in leafy greens outbreaks."
The ability to trace back product has improved, Mr. Acheson noted, and he pointed to the strawberry industry as an example. "The goal is to narrow the [traceback] issue as quickly as possible," he said.
Mr. Acheson also told the media that the long-awaited final report by the FDA and the state Department of Health Services on the E. coli outbreak in spinach "may come out in the next week." He said that the exact cause of the E. coli outbreak in spinach likely would never be determined -- a stance that has long been held by industry officials since the outbreak.
One of the few voices of strong discord at the March 20 hearing was that of Elisa Odabashian, director of the West Coast office of Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports. Ms. Odabashian told the panel that the fresh produce industry's efforts toward self-regulation have failed the consumer and that government needs to step in with mandatory regulations.
However, FDA and state health officials reiterated their stance favoring voluntary guidelines and industry self-policing, which include a set of standards that California growers were expected to adopt the week of March 26.
James Gorny, senior vice president of food safety for the United Fresh Produce Association, said that the industry needs consistent produce food- safety standards. He told the panel that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is a strong industry ally, and that the FDA must have relationships with the USDA and other agencies and must use its authority already in place to mandate food-safety standards.
"Fear has no place in a produce department," Dr. Gorny said.
California Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) was another dissenting voice. Mr. Florez reiterated his previous comments opposing the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement. About 90 percent of the leafy greens production volume is currently represented by the marketing agreement. Among the stipulations of the voluntary marketing agreement, which takes effect April 1, is a mandate that handlers comply with the latest good agricultural practices and that they buy greens only from growers who follow a set of safety practices.
Mr. Florez has three bills pending to mandate state food-safety regulations for California growers.
A public hearing similar to the one held March 20 will take place April 6 in College Park, MD. Following that hearing, the FDA's role in minimizing outbreaks in fresh produce is expected to take further shape.
