Tainted Spinach Leads to Calls for More Oversight of Farms and Packaging Plants

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Leafy vegetables are the second leading source of E. coli infections in the United States, behind ground beef, but the government relies primarily on voluntary safety steps by farmers and packagers to prevent outbreaks.

WASHINGTON — Leafy vegetables are the second leading source of E. coli infections in the United States, behind ground beef, but the government relies primarily on voluntary safety steps by farmers and packagers to prevent outbreaks.


The cleanliness of fresh produce is drawing new attention amid reports that tainted spinach has been found recently in 21 states, killing at least one person and sickening more than 100 others. A second death was under investigation.


Some consumer groups believe the government should do more to regulate farming and packaging, including the quality of water used for irrigation, the application of manure and sanitary facilities used by workers.


"The safeguards are not in place to protect fruits and vegetables in the same way that they are for beef and poultry," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food-safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.


Foodborne illnesses in the United States cost about $7 billion annually, including medical expenses and productivity losses from missed work, according to estimates from the federal government.


The U.S. food supply is governed by a complex system administered by 15 agencies. Lawmakers in past years have introduced legislation to make one agency responsible for food safety.


Federal officials have also raised concerns that the food supply is vulnerable to contamination by terrorists. Just before leaving office in December 2004, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said he worries "every single night" about a possible terror attack on the food supply.


"For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do," Thompson said.


FDA officials do not suspect terrorism in the latest outbreak.


In recent years, the FDA has acknowledged problems involving the safety of produce, particularly with lettuce and spinach.


"In light of continuing outbreaks, it is clear more needs to be done," said Robert Brackett, director of the agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Sciences.


Brackett's comments were contained in a letter sent in November to California firms that grow, pack and ship lettuce. He noted that 19 known outbreaks of E. coli have come from fresh-cut lettuce or spinach since 1995.


In March, the agency issued draft guidance for the safe production of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Last month, the agency issued what it called the Lettuce Safety Initiative. It calls for visits to farms and packing operations so staff can monitor potential trouble spots and offer recommendations on reducing food contamination.


But warning letters and guidance are not enough, the consumer groups say. They contend many producers never hear of the recommendations, and that means the level of food safety remains hazardous and deadly.


"When it comes to fresh fruit and vegetables, no one is in charge of food safety on the farm," Smith DeWaal said.


Jim Gorny, senior vice president of food safety and technology for the United Fresh Produce Association, said testing at produce plants would be burdensome and ineffective.


"One hundred percent inspection is no way to run a food safety program," Gorny said.


Gorny said the produce industry met with Brackett after getting the FDA's letter. The producers came up with a four-part plan that revolves around outreach programs to farmers and packagers so that they know the best practices to avoid contamination. They also want more federal funding for research programs.


"We don't feel it's a lack of compliance," Gorny said. "It's a lack of knowledge. That's what really needs to be attacked."


Smith DeWaal said that a major E. coli outbreak in 1993 brought about a zero-tolerance policy for the meatpacking industry. Now, government inspectors monitor every meatpacking plant, she said.


But Ewen Todd, director of the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center at Michigan State University, said a much different approach is used for fruits and vegetables.


"The USDA will have people in the plants. The FDA doesn't do that. They have to rely more on the producer and supplier to generate paperwork that shows they're doing the right thing," Todd said.


Source: Associated Press


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