Congressional hearings to examine impact of Salmonella probe
Congressional hearings to examine impact of Salmonella probe
WASHINGTON -- Tomato growers will get a chance to tell their stories about the millions of dollars lost during what they call a botched investigation into the recent Salmonella outbreak at two congressional hearings scheduled for the last week of July.
Two House committees are set to explore the latest Salmonella investigation on July 30 and July 31. The hearings on Capitol Hill come as the Food & Drug Administration announced a strong lead in the outbreak investigation: a jalape?o pepper grown in Mexico and found at a Texas distributor that tested positive for the outbreak strain Salmonella Saintpaul.
"While this one sample doesn't yet give us the whole story, this genetic match is a very important break in the case because it enables us to focus our investigation on the production chain that ... will ultimately allow us hopefully to pinpoint the source of the contamination, which has caused the outbreak," David Acheson, FDA commissioner for food, said at a July 21 press conference hastily organized to announce the pepper test results.
While the pepper originated in Mexico, it does not mean that it was contaminated there, he added.
Within hours, Agricola Zaragoza Inc. in McAllen, TX, issued a recall of Jalape?o peppers distributed since June and shipped in 35-pound plastic crates and in 50-pound bags with no brand name or label attached.
The FDA changed its consumer advisory to warn all people to avoid eating fresh Jalape?o peppers and dishes containing raw Jalape?os such as guacamole and fresh salsa. Vulnerable populations, such as young children and seniors, were advised to avoid eating fresh Serrano peppers. The FDA has yet to absolve fresh tomatoes from playing an early role in the outbreak.
"Now the focus is on Jalape?os, and maybe it should have been all along," said Tony DiMare, vice president of the DiMare Co., a leading tomato grower in Florida.
Mr. DiMare, who will testify at an upcoming congressional hearing, said that his firm has lost millions of dollars and continues to lose money since the FDA fingered tomatoes in the outbreak investigation. Sales of tomatoes were off 60 percent at the height of the FDA warnings about tomatoes, and sales are still off by 20 percent, he added.
"There's some question, a cloud hanging over the Florida industry, until FDA traces back the cause of the outbreak," Mr. DiMare said. "Until then, there will always be some doubt [about the safety of tomatoes] with the consuming public."
Two members of Congress -- Reps. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) and Allen Boyd (D- FL) -- are drafting a bill that would seek federal compensation for Florida tomato growers.
Mr. DiMare faulted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention for handing FDA incomplete epidemiological evidence that may have led ill people to identify tomatoes as a likely source of the outbreak. The FDA is also at fault, he said, for not sharing critical information with the tomato industry early on that could have helped speed the traceback.
"All of us in the industry have been in the dark about this investigation," Mr. DiMare said.
Another message Mr. DiMare wants to make clear at the upcoming hearing is that his company has an effective traceability system. The firm can track everything through distribution, packinghouses and back to the farm. Since vendors are requiring approved traceback systems, "If small operators can't track back, unfortunately, their days in the industry will not be long," he said. "For the most part, industry had the records," said Julia Stewart, public relations director for the Produce Marketing Association.
But everyone has proprietary systems that captured data differently, and this made FDA's job more difficult, Ms. Stewart said.
FDA officials complained to the media about digging through piles of paper to piece together where produce traveled during the investigation. And members of Congress, frustrated by the pace of the probe, are seriously eyeing bills that would require a federal traceability program for the food industry.
"This recent outbreak has proven that this country needs a comprehensive, electronic traceability system," Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), who has introduced a food tracking bill for several years that appears to be gaining traction in recent months, said in a statement.
In reaction to news of the Jalape?o pepper finding, Rep. DeGette said that the fact that it has taken 14 weeks to gain a lead is unacceptable.
"Much like the tomato industry, the result is a blanket warning that will decimate the entire industry and further depress consumer confidence when only a tiny fraction of peppers may be contaminated," she said.
"Our industry cannot afford another prolonged situation like this," said Ms. Stewart, who added that she was pleased to hear about the latest Jalape?o finding. Both federal officials and the produce industry need to make changes to prevent a repeat of the current situation, she added.
Two House committees are set to explore the latest Salmonella investigation on July 30 and July 31. The hearings on Capitol Hill come as the Food & Drug Administration announced a strong lead in the outbreak investigation: a jalape?o pepper grown in Mexico and found at a Texas distributor that tested positive for the outbreak strain Salmonella Saintpaul.
"While this one sample doesn't yet give us the whole story, this genetic match is a very important break in the case because it enables us to focus our investigation on the production chain that ... will ultimately allow us hopefully to pinpoint the source of the contamination, which has caused the outbreak," David Acheson, FDA commissioner for food, said at a July 21 press conference hastily organized to announce the pepper test results.
While the pepper originated in Mexico, it does not mean that it was contaminated there, he added.
Within hours, Agricola Zaragoza Inc. in McAllen, TX, issued a recall of Jalape?o peppers distributed since June and shipped in 35-pound plastic crates and in 50-pound bags with no brand name or label attached.
The FDA changed its consumer advisory to warn all people to avoid eating fresh Jalape?o peppers and dishes containing raw Jalape?os such as guacamole and fresh salsa. Vulnerable populations, such as young children and seniors, were advised to avoid eating fresh Serrano peppers. The FDA has yet to absolve fresh tomatoes from playing an early role in the outbreak.
"Now the focus is on Jalape?os, and maybe it should have been all along," said Tony DiMare, vice president of the DiMare Co., a leading tomato grower in Florida.
Mr. DiMare, who will testify at an upcoming congressional hearing, said that his firm has lost millions of dollars and continues to lose money since the FDA fingered tomatoes in the outbreak investigation. Sales of tomatoes were off 60 percent at the height of the FDA warnings about tomatoes, and sales are still off by 20 percent, he added.
"There's some question, a cloud hanging over the Florida industry, until FDA traces back the cause of the outbreak," Mr. DiMare said. "Until then, there will always be some doubt [about the safety of tomatoes] with the consuming public."
Two members of Congress -- Reps. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) and Allen Boyd (D- FL) -- are drafting a bill that would seek federal compensation for Florida tomato growers.
Mr. DiMare faulted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention for handing FDA incomplete epidemiological evidence that may have led ill people to identify tomatoes as a likely source of the outbreak. The FDA is also at fault, he said, for not sharing critical information with the tomato industry early on that could have helped speed the traceback.
"All of us in the industry have been in the dark about this investigation," Mr. DiMare said.
Another message Mr. DiMare wants to make clear at the upcoming hearing is that his company has an effective traceability system. The firm can track everything through distribution, packinghouses and back to the farm. Since vendors are requiring approved traceback systems, "If small operators can't track back, unfortunately, their days in the industry will not be long," he said. "For the most part, industry had the records," said Julia Stewart, public relations director for the Produce Marketing Association.
But everyone has proprietary systems that captured data differently, and this made FDA's job more difficult, Ms. Stewart said.
FDA officials complained to the media about digging through piles of paper to piece together where produce traveled during the investigation. And members of Congress, frustrated by the pace of the probe, are seriously eyeing bills that would require a federal traceability program for the food industry.
"This recent outbreak has proven that this country needs a comprehensive, electronic traceability system," Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), who has introduced a food tracking bill for several years that appears to be gaining traction in recent months, said in a statement.
In reaction to news of the Jalape?o pepper finding, Rep. DeGette said that the fact that it has taken 14 weeks to gain a lead is unacceptable.
"Much like the tomato industry, the result is a blanket warning that will decimate the entire industry and further depress consumer confidence when only a tiny fraction of peppers may be contaminated," she said.
"Our industry cannot afford another prolonged situation like this," said Ms. Stewart, who added that she was pleased to hear about the latest Jalape?o finding. Both federal officials and the produce industry need to make changes to prevent a repeat of the current situation, she added.
