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Learning from outbreaks: creating a culture of food safety October 20, 2006. Ben Chapman Food Safety Network Tanya MacLaurin University of Guelph bchapman@uoguelph.ca. Doug Powell Food Safety Network Kansas State University dpowell@kstate.edu. Witty Willie.
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Learning from outbreaks: creating a culture of food safetyOctober 20, 2006 Ben Chapman Food Safety Network Tanya MacLaurin University of Guelph bchapman@uoguelph.ca Doug Powell Food Safety Network Kansas State University dpowell@kstate.edu
Witty Willie • public statement regarding being caught with a bag of Marijuana • "It's a good thing I had a bag of Marijuana instead of a bag of spinach. I'd be dead by now."
How big of a story is spinach? • September 13 - October 19 2006 • 2776 stories pulled • 1758 stories pulled for FSnet • 672 stories containing “spinach” • May 13 - June 16 2006 • 2389 stories pulled • 1122 stories pulled for FSnet • 17 stories containing “spinach
foodsafetyinfosheets.ksu.edu • fsninfosheets.blogspot.com/
Discussion: Profile of Media Outbreaks • Large outbreaks; illnesses • Widespread outbreaks; more than one cluster • Imported produce • Management practices • Complete story of investigation • Stigma of foods
Recommendations for Risk Managers Addressing Media • Proactive risk communication strategies • Expansion of surveillance and inspection • Employ credible on-farm food safety programs
Earthbound Farm • Myra Goodman, a founder and vice president of Earthbound • "Earthbound Farm has been making fresh salads for more than 20 years, and there has never been a safety problem associated with any of our products Any association with this tragedy is obviously devastating to us."
Washington Post September 16 • Jim Gorny United Fresh Produce Association • "We never thought to look at fruits and vegetables before, and now we are.” • "These documents don't just sit on a table. We really try to get them out to industry."
Blast from the past Deadly Bacteria a New Threat To Fruit and Produce in U.S. January 4, 1998 New York Times Christopher Drew and Pam Belluck
New York Times, September 16 • Robert Eli Perkins, the executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, • was cited as saying the growers were staying out of the limelight and waiting for a decisive determination of the source of the contamination.
Chicago Tribune, September 18 • Organic grower Alex Sancen, 38, who quit his job as an aluminum factory worker in the Los Angeles area two years ago to become a farmer • "I think the problem is with the handling in the restaurants," Sancen said. "Restaurants have more bacteria than restrooms. I think part of the problem is with the handling."
Comparing on-farm food safety programs • Guidelines are similar • Implementation strategies are missing from many • Third-party audits are not complete programs though may be viewed as such by buyers • Value for third-party audit programs is in market access, not reducing risk • Auditor consistency • How do you tell good guys vs. bad guys? Go on the farm • Small vs. large -- imported vs. domestic
Paisley farms, Columbia County, Long Island -- New York Times, September 29 • Michael Kokas -- Manager • On receiving questions at farmers’ market: • "They want to know, ‘Do you have spinach? Is it O.K.? Does your farm have E. coli?’ You have to explain the regionality of the problem. You have to go through the whole spiel. It’s annoying."
Quebec Grown and Packaged Fresh Spinach Is Entirely Safe to Eat • On the other hand, fresh bulk and bagged spinach grown in Quebec poses no threat • Consumers wishing to eat delicious fresh spinach without risk are invited to be sure to buy only Quebec spinach • Growers association press release Sept 19 • Is Canadian produce really safer? Lettuce outbreak in September as well
On-farm food safety program strategies • Industry-led, regulator supported • Dynamic programs based on best available science • Involve stakeholders • Transparent and proactive communication • Multi-dimensional implementation
A company/industry will emerge take the market • This company will: • Be part of a industry united from farm to fork • Anticipate that outbreaks will happen • Know their product, risks and how to manage • Know what happens to pathogens in the system • Show compassion • Provide what they do -- open and transparent • Say products come with risks • Market food safety and back it up with data
A company/industry will emerge take the market • They will not: • Blame their customers • Charge more for food safety • Say we've never made anyone sick and we've been doing this for x years. • Say the product you buy from us is risk-free, safe, guaranteed, etc.
Information must be: • Rapid • Reliable • Relevant • Repeated