Stenzel urges FDA to revisit the science behind Salmonella incident
Stenzel urges FDA to revisit the science behind Salmonella incident
WASHINGTON -- United Fresh Produce Association President Tom Stenzel urged the Food & Drug Administration to take another look at the science behind the investigation into this summer's Salmonella outbreak with the hopes that tomatoes would be finally cleared as a possible cause.
Crowded onto buses and packed into an auditorium, more than 100 attendees of United's Washington Public Policy Conference met with FDA officials to discuss lessons learned from the Salmonella outbreak.
Mr. Stenzel said that he doubted that tomatoes were ever responsible for the outbreak and that it was time for FDA to conduct a "rigorous scientific reassessment" of the Salmonella outbreak, especially the early epidemiological evidence generated by New Mexico and Texas health officials.
But Jack Guzewich, senior environmental health scientist for FDA's food safety division, said that epidemiologists have repeatedly retested the early hypothesis that tomatoes were a probable cause in the early part of the outbreak, followed by Jalapeno and Serrano peppers. Most, but not all, epidemiologists agreed that tomatoes probably played a role, he said.
It's a "stain on tomatoes," said one industry official.
Drew McDonald, a vice president for Taylor Farms Inc., questioned why FDA had to shut down the industry when it believed that not all tomatoes and not all peppers were making people sick. When there's a meat recall, "you don't say all beef is bad," he added.
Majorie Davidson, acting director of FDA's Division of Communications & Education, said that FDA is taking another look at how it communicates safety messages.
Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, said that the tomato industry is committed to mandatory safety regulations in California and Florida. Although the industry is making great progress, FDA should not "pre-indict the industry" because of past contamination problems and it should follow "good science from the start."
Mr. Stenzel suggested that FDA needs to clear the record. FDA should not be compelled to follow the initial conclusions reached by New Mexico, Texas and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention officials and indict tomatoes, he said.
"FDA has a lot riding on this," he concluded.
Crowded onto buses and packed into an auditorium, more than 100 attendees of United's Washington Public Policy Conference met with FDA officials to discuss lessons learned from the Salmonella outbreak.
Mr. Stenzel said that he doubted that tomatoes were ever responsible for the outbreak and that it was time for FDA to conduct a "rigorous scientific reassessment" of the Salmonella outbreak, especially the early epidemiological evidence generated by New Mexico and Texas health officials.
But Jack Guzewich, senior environmental health scientist for FDA's food safety division, said that epidemiologists have repeatedly retested the early hypothesis that tomatoes were a probable cause in the early part of the outbreak, followed by Jalapeno and Serrano peppers. Most, but not all, epidemiologists agreed that tomatoes probably played a role, he said.
It's a "stain on tomatoes," said one industry official.
Drew McDonald, a vice president for Taylor Farms Inc., questioned why FDA had to shut down the industry when it believed that not all tomatoes and not all peppers were making people sick. When there's a meat recall, "you don't say all beef is bad," he added.
Majorie Davidson, acting director of FDA's Division of Communications & Education, said that FDA is taking another look at how it communicates safety messages.
Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, said that the tomato industry is committed to mandatory safety regulations in California and Florida. Although the industry is making great progress, FDA should not "pre-indict the industry" because of past contamination problems and it should follow "good science from the start."
Mr. Stenzel suggested that FDA needs to clear the record. FDA should not be compelled to follow the initial conclusions reached by New Mexico, Texas and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention officials and indict tomatoes, he said.
"FDA has a lot riding on this," he concluded.
