A Classic Fox Watching the Hen House Posted by Tim at 09/21/09 05:30 PM

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This weekend, Ippolito International, a signatory of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, announced a new recall of loose spinach, due to salmonella contamination, that was distributed in 12 states and Canada. The recall comes just before a U.S. Department of Agriculture hearing on whether to take the California LGMA national as a model for assuring the safety of leafy greens. Consumers Union thinks this model is not the way to go, and will oppose a national USDA-sponsored LGMA in testimony this week in Monterrey, California.

These days, most people agree we have a food safety problem. An earlier case of contaminated spinach, which broke into the national media three years ago this month, was the first in a series of major national food safety crises, now including peanut butter, pistachios and cookie dough. In the 2006 spinach recall, 200 people were sickened across 26 states, 100 of those were hospitalized and three died. One of the three was two-year-old Kyle Algood of Chubbuck, Idaho. Tragically, his mother made him the smoothie that contained the raw spinach, wanting to give him some healthy food.

So far there have been no illnesses or deaths associated with this latest spinach recall. But the recall underlines the fact that we still have a ways to go before the nation's food supply is as safe as it can and should be.

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comments (2)

1 Posted by Michela Prestigiovanni at 09/23/09 01:16 PM

If could again have the small neighborood stores where to purchase local seasonal products instead of the gargantous groceries stores type of organizations there would not be need of "Big Government watch dogs". Each City has already local inspectors anyway, adding more personnel could be helpful to have more jobs available locally.

The government should incourage local small farmers with tax incentives, easy access to education and other benefits instead of raising tax money to help other countries who WANT to live the way their ancestors did.

This business of helping other countries is keeping the US from being able to spend money to educate the population here.

2 Posted by Nancy Holt at 09/25/09 03:53 PM

The problem with contaminated produce will continue as long as treated sewage waste water is used to irrigate the crops and sewage sludge is applied to land for growth of human vegetable crops.

To date, no record of water tests have been performed at the head of the irrigation pumps, just at the waste water treatment plant. This water travels in pipes up to 45 miles to get to some areas in the California "salad bowl"--yet the EPA, USDA, and FDA all refuse to test the water for contamination. Studies have shown that the bacteria can become part of the vascular system of leafy green plants like spinach, kale, chard, etc. So all the green goodies we wash before serving our families may still be contaminated.

Unless, and until, the regulatory sections of the FDA, EPA, and USDA are removed from the political appointee administration area and come under a separate enforcement division that is non-political--we will continue to have industry and lobbist inspired management and no effective food safety inspections across the board.

I know there are people of integrity in the inspection/enforcement divisions--BUT they must comply with the wishes and demands of the agency administration that partners with the industries it is supposed to regulate.

The inspectors now have the "discretion" to either enforce the law or walk away when they encounter a food safety violation. This has to stop if we ever want safe food.