Congress to investigate FDA handling of Salmonella outbreak
Congress to investigate FDA handling of Salmonella outbreak
WASHINGTON -- It would appear that Congress heard the cries from the suffering tomato industry, as a House of Representatives agriculture subcommittee has planned a July 15 hearing to investigate the federal government's handling of the tomato and spinach contamination outbreaks.
This comes after news that the federal government was expanding its outbreak investigation to other produce items commonly served with tomatoes.
Federal health officials agreed to take a new tact after some people who ate at a common restaurant and became ill did not recall eating tomatoes. Combined with the fact that new cases were being reported as of June 20 and the traceback is not converging on a single tomato source or a single distribution point, federal health officials opted to take another look at their assumptions.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration "is expanding the investigation to look at additional produce items commonly served with tomatoes," David Acheson, FDA associate commissioner for foods, said in a July 1 call with the media.
Tomatoes are still the lead suspect, Dr. Acheson said, and the agency recommends people keep following FDA's original consumer advisory about eating only certain tomatoes from safe growing regions.
But the agency's consumer message is likely to become muddied now that other ingredients are also under suspicion.
Dr. Acheson said, "It would be irresponsible to name the other ingredients," but it is likely the common ingredients found in salsa or pico de gallo are under renewed scrutiny.
New Mexico health officials, who were among the earlier groups to link tomatoes to the outbreak, fired off a press release after the FDA press call that reminded consumers to eat only certain tomatoes, though it noted that the FDA was looking at other salsa ingredients.
"It's important for you to eat tomatoes only if you know they came from a safe source," said New Mexico Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil. "Federal investigators are being prudent in considering other food items as possibly linked to the Salmonella outbreak," Dr. Vigil said.
"There could be other food involved in this outbreak, but evidence from sick patients also still points to tomatoes," he said. "These types of investigations are very difficult because people may not be aware of all the ingredients in foods or remember all the food items they ate."
In response to a call from the Western Growers Association, Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture & Organic Agriculture, plans to hold a July 15 hearing on the handling of the outbreak investigation.
"We're so disappointed with the progress in the investigation, the communication with industry, policies of the investigation and now the direction it's taking," said Cathleen Enright, vice president of federal government affairs for Western Growers Association. "We've got an industry here suffering badly," she said.
"It's a mess," said Tony Corbo, food lobbyist for the consumer group Food & Water Watch. He said that FDA's handling of the outbreak investigation appears to play into the hands of House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson (D-MN), who wants to shift more food-safety functions away from the FDA and place them in the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A Florida member of Congress also pointed to the uncertainty in FDA's consumer message as dangerous to consumers and economically devastating to Florida growers.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said that she plans to add an amendment to FDA's spending bill that would require the agency to study its outbreak program. "She feels the handling of the current Salmonella illnesses has been unsatisfactory," said a spokesperson for Rep. Wasserman Schultz. In the meantime, the federal investigation is looking into other produce items that may have traveled through the same distribution channels as tomatoes or possibly were grown on or adjacent to farms that also grow tomatoes and used contaminated water, Dr. Acheson said.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention is launching a new, multi-state study comparing where and what people who became ill after June 1 ate. As of June 30, 869 people were infected with Salmonella saintpaul and 107 were hospitalized.
By expanding the scope of the investigation, Dr. Acheson said that the agency would be activating an emergency laboratory program so FDA can tap state labs as it increases testing of tomatoes and other ingredients. However, only 10 labs said they would volunteer to help FDA as part of its emergency network.
In response to growing criticisms about FDA's inability to identify a source, Dr. Acheson said, "We need to ask ourselves how to reduce the likelihood of a repeat in the future."
The agency is considering a task force that would fully coordinate state, local and federal health officials in outbreak investigations, he said.
But he also pointed a finger at the produce industry and its responsibility to make sure food is safe. The pace of combing through stacks of paper records kept by tomato companies is "frustratingly slow," he said, asserting that these records should be electronic to enhance traceability.
This comes after news that the federal government was expanding its outbreak investigation to other produce items commonly served with tomatoes.
Federal health officials agreed to take a new tact after some people who ate at a common restaurant and became ill did not recall eating tomatoes. Combined with the fact that new cases were being reported as of June 20 and the traceback is not converging on a single tomato source or a single distribution point, federal health officials opted to take another look at their assumptions.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration "is expanding the investigation to look at additional produce items commonly served with tomatoes," David Acheson, FDA associate commissioner for foods, said in a July 1 call with the media.
Tomatoes are still the lead suspect, Dr. Acheson said, and the agency recommends people keep following FDA's original consumer advisory about eating only certain tomatoes from safe growing regions.
But the agency's consumer message is likely to become muddied now that other ingredients are also under suspicion.
Dr. Acheson said, "It would be irresponsible to name the other ingredients," but it is likely the common ingredients found in salsa or pico de gallo are under renewed scrutiny.
New Mexico health officials, who were among the earlier groups to link tomatoes to the outbreak, fired off a press release after the FDA press call that reminded consumers to eat only certain tomatoes, though it noted that the FDA was looking at other salsa ingredients.
"It's important for you to eat tomatoes only if you know they came from a safe source," said New Mexico Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil. "Federal investigators are being prudent in considering other food items as possibly linked to the Salmonella outbreak," Dr. Vigil said.
"There could be other food involved in this outbreak, but evidence from sick patients also still points to tomatoes," he said. "These types of investigations are very difficult because people may not be aware of all the ingredients in foods or remember all the food items they ate."
In response to a call from the Western Growers Association, Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture & Organic Agriculture, plans to hold a July 15 hearing on the handling of the outbreak investigation.
"We're so disappointed with the progress in the investigation, the communication with industry, policies of the investigation and now the direction it's taking," said Cathleen Enright, vice president of federal government affairs for Western Growers Association. "We've got an industry here suffering badly," she said.
"It's a mess," said Tony Corbo, food lobbyist for the consumer group Food & Water Watch. He said that FDA's handling of the outbreak investigation appears to play into the hands of House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson (D-MN), who wants to shift more food-safety functions away from the FDA and place them in the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A Florida member of Congress also pointed to the uncertainty in FDA's consumer message as dangerous to consumers and economically devastating to Florida growers.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said that she plans to add an amendment to FDA's spending bill that would require the agency to study its outbreak program. "She feels the handling of the current Salmonella illnesses has been unsatisfactory," said a spokesperson for Rep. Wasserman Schultz. In the meantime, the federal investigation is looking into other produce items that may have traveled through the same distribution channels as tomatoes or possibly were grown on or adjacent to farms that also grow tomatoes and used contaminated water, Dr. Acheson said.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention is launching a new, multi-state study comparing where and what people who became ill after June 1 ate. As of June 30, 869 people were infected with Salmonella saintpaul and 107 were hospitalized.
By expanding the scope of the investigation, Dr. Acheson said that the agency would be activating an emergency laboratory program so FDA can tap state labs as it increases testing of tomatoes and other ingredients. However, only 10 labs said they would volunteer to help FDA as part of its emergency network.
In response to growing criticisms about FDA's inability to identify a source, Dr. Acheson said, "We need to ask ourselves how to reduce the likelihood of a repeat in the future."
The agency is considering a task force that would fully coordinate state, local and federal health officials in outbreak investigations, he said.
But he also pointed a finger at the produce industry and its responsibility to make sure food is safe. The pace of combing through stacks of paper records kept by tomato companies is "frustratingly slow," he said, asserting that these records should be electronic to enhance traceability.
