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FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAK SIMULATION WORKSHOP. Introductions. Expectations. Everyone will be working together in their respective groups Each group will have different issues to address and deal with Overall the goal is for the group to work together through a crisis situation.
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Expectations • Everyone will be working together in their respective groups • Each group will have different issues to address and deal with • Overall the goal is for the group to work together through a crisis situation
You will be working together and role playing • Groups: • Producers • Commodity Associations and Organizations • Other participants: • Media • Regulators
Producer group 1: Tarheel Acres Growers • Conventional, organic, transition organic • Piedmont • Large packing facility • Pack for neighboring farms • Repack imports • Mainly wholesale, Carrboro Farmers’ Market • Peppers, fresh round tomatoes, strawberries, melons
Producer group 2: Plott Hound Creek Farms • Small-ish farmer • Conventional production mainly • Newton Grove • Direct market foodservice, wholesale and direct-to-store • Fresh round tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, sweet corn
Producer group 3: Rising Sun Farms • Conventional • Medium size farm • Goldsboro • Mainly wholesale, Raleigh Farmers’ Market • Tomatoes, peppers, and melons • Chicken houses adjacent to field
Commodity Associations and Organizations • Tomato Growers Association • NC Vegetable Growers Association • Tomato Council • United Fresh Produce Association
Media -- Our journalistic team • News and Observer • Charlotte Observer • CNN • Perez Hilton • Late night television • WRAL • Twitter • Yahoo News
August 15, 2011 -- Press release • NC Department of Health says “There are an increased number of illnesses which are linked together with a genetic fingerprint” • Salmonella Poona • 24 illnesses in NC • CDC has been dispatched
AUGUST 17, 2011 -- MORE INFORMATION TRICKLES OUT • Not just NC • Buncombe Co Health Department says “appears that they are linked to fast food” • TN Department of Health says “may be associated with Mexican restaurants” • TN, SC, GA -- all genetic matches • National conference call
August 19, 2011 Salmonella -- TN Health department its tomatoes • What do you do? • Who do you call? • What kind of things do you do to assess your system? • What do you release to the media?
August 20, 2011 -- Press conference • Announced that it is tomato-linked • Mike Taylor, FDA food safety czar • "It is always an upset to the industry when we have to put consumer advice out like this, but . . . we don't know which tomatoes are causing the illnesses; and we don't want to wait until we find out and then learn that people were getting sick.”
What else happens? • Media attention • Blogs, Twitter, Youtube • Increased testing of tomatoes • Buyer questions??? • Local demand? • Tomato sales decrease
Damage Control • Plott Hound Creek Farms • Increase in traffic on farm • Consumers talking about how the outbreak scares them from purchasing at large stores • Tarheel Acres Growers • Contact neighboring farms to confirm they are using GAPs • Increase in demand for tomatoes at Farmer’s market • Lots of discussion from customers
Industry investigations -- Looking for the source • Discuss your distribution chain • How do you prove it is not your farm? • Documentation? • Where has your product gone? • Traceability?
August 23, 2011 -- Outbreak has been traced to Tarheel Acres Growers
Class I Recall • Class I is a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death 19
August 23, 2011 -- Recall • How do you get the product back? • Where did it go? • What documentation do you need? • Other groups roles in this?
NCDA and FDA, conducting the investigation, asks for: • Flow charts • Lab reports • HACCP/SSOP records • Production records • Distribution records
On-farm investigation • Where they might start looking on-farm • Water • Worker health and hygiene • Wildlife
AUGUST 25, 2011 -- MORE INFO ABOUT THE IMPLICATED SITE ARISES… • Importing/repacking • Custom packing for themselves and others • Implicated product went to other dealers
FALL 2011 -- Recovery • Outbreak is over • What’s next? • Who is affected? • What needs to be done to get things back on track?
SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? • Be prepared for outbreaks • Have a plan to manage them • Be available • Monitor what people are saying about industry/products • Use non-print methods • Take control of the story