CDC offers few answers about Sheetz outbreak
CDC offers few answers about Sheetz outbreak
WASHINGTON " A new report by federal disease investigators on last year?s Salmonella outbreak at Sheetz convenience stores raised more questions than it offered answers about how tomatoes may have sickened 561 people in 18 states.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recounted an investigation into three outbreaks involving various Salmonella strains that were linked to Roma tomatoes served in the United States and Canada last summer. The probe appeared to find few answers to the source of the infections, prompting CDC to ask for more research on tomato contamination and methods to eradicate Salmonella in fruit.
In July 2004, 429 people who had eaten at a convenience store chain became ill from several different strains of Salmonella. The company had purchased presliced Roma tomatoes from a single processor, which became known as Coronet Foods, for all its 302 stores in five of the states.
Another 125 cases were linked to a different strain " Salmonella Braenderup " and were found in 16 states last summer. Health officials again narrowed their investigation to Roma tomatoes served at restaurants. Finally, seven cases of S. Javiana infections were identified in Ontario. All those patients ate at the same restaurant, and Roma tomatoes were again suspected as the cause of those illnesses.
For the Sheetz outbreak, the traceback investigation identified one field-packing operation and three packinghouses from three states as possible sources. Of these four sources, one Florida packinghouse came up as a possible source for the other two Roma tomato-associated outbreaks, said CDC.
Health officials inspected the tomato-slicing facility and found no source of contamination. In addition, environmental probes of the four packers and five farms in Florida and South Carolina did not reveal a clear source of contamination, and the packinghouses appeared to be following food-safety guidelines, said CDC?s report.
?Although a single tomato packinghouse in Florida was common to all three outbreaks, other growers and packers also might have supplied contaminated Roma tomatoes that resulted is some illnesses," said CDC.
?It gives credence to the need for more research," said Jennifer Tong of the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association. "With five strains found in one growing region, we really need to know what?s going on there," she said. Outbreak investigations can help the industry and government officials prioritize research dollars, even when the source is not pinpointed, she said.
Ms. Tong said that the industry has been working on commodity-specific guidelines for tomatoes, a draft of which may be sent to FDA next month. United and the Produce Marketing Association have been developing commodity-specific guidance for good agricultural practices, good manufacturing practices and good handling practices across the entire distribution chain. The groups focused on FDA?s priority list for commodities " tomatoes, lettuce, cantaloupes, green onions and herbs " that have been linked to repeated outbreaks.
CDC noted that past outbreaks associated with tomatoes have been linked to water-quality problems in southeastern U.S. packinghouses. Tomato-associated outbreaks have increased in frequency and magnitude in recent years, but little is known about whether Salmonella can travel through roots to fruit or if seeds can taint subsequent generations. "Understanding the mechanism of contamination and amplification of contamination of large volumes of tomatoes is critical to prevent large-scale, tomato-associated outbreaks," said CDC.
The investigation also teaches another lesson. The Roma tomato supplier for Sheetz blamed bad publicity from the Salmonella outbreak as one reason it had to cease operations at its West Virginia plant in October. "All indications are that it was no fault of Coronet?s," said Ms. Tong. "It once again shows how an outbreak can devastate a business."
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recounted an investigation into three outbreaks involving various Salmonella strains that were linked to Roma tomatoes served in the United States and Canada last summer. The probe appeared to find few answers to the source of the infections, prompting CDC to ask for more research on tomato contamination and methods to eradicate Salmonella in fruit.
In July 2004, 429 people who had eaten at a convenience store chain became ill from several different strains of Salmonella. The company had purchased presliced Roma tomatoes from a single processor, which became known as Coronet Foods, for all its 302 stores in five of the states.
Another 125 cases were linked to a different strain " Salmonella Braenderup " and were found in 16 states last summer. Health officials again narrowed their investigation to Roma tomatoes served at restaurants. Finally, seven cases of S. Javiana infections were identified in Ontario. All those patients ate at the same restaurant, and Roma tomatoes were again suspected as the cause of those illnesses.
For the Sheetz outbreak, the traceback investigation identified one field-packing operation and three packinghouses from three states as possible sources. Of these four sources, one Florida packinghouse came up as a possible source for the other two Roma tomato-associated outbreaks, said CDC.
Health officials inspected the tomato-slicing facility and found no source of contamination. In addition, environmental probes of the four packers and five farms in Florida and South Carolina did not reveal a clear source of contamination, and the packinghouses appeared to be following food-safety guidelines, said CDC?s report.
?Although a single tomato packinghouse in Florida was common to all three outbreaks, other growers and packers also might have supplied contaminated Roma tomatoes that resulted is some illnesses," said CDC.
?It gives credence to the need for more research," said Jennifer Tong of the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association. "With five strains found in one growing region, we really need to know what?s going on there," she said. Outbreak investigations can help the industry and government officials prioritize research dollars, even when the source is not pinpointed, she said.
Ms. Tong said that the industry has been working on commodity-specific guidelines for tomatoes, a draft of which may be sent to FDA next month. United and the Produce Marketing Association have been developing commodity-specific guidance for good agricultural practices, good manufacturing practices and good handling practices across the entire distribution chain. The groups focused on FDA?s priority list for commodities " tomatoes, lettuce, cantaloupes, green onions and herbs " that have been linked to repeated outbreaks.
CDC noted that past outbreaks associated with tomatoes have been linked to water-quality problems in southeastern U.S. packinghouses. Tomato-associated outbreaks have increased in frequency and magnitude in recent years, but little is known about whether Salmonella can travel through roots to fruit or if seeds can taint subsequent generations. "Understanding the mechanism of contamination and amplification of contamination of large volumes of tomatoes is critical to prevent large-scale, tomato-associated outbreaks," said CDC.
The investigation also teaches another lesson. The Roma tomato supplier for Sheetz blamed bad publicity from the Salmonella outbreak as one reason it had to cease operations at its West Virginia plant in October. "All indications are that it was no fault of Coronet?s," said Ms. Tong. "It once again shows how an outbreak can devastate a business."
