FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAK SIMULATION WORKSHOP

1. FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAK SIMULATION WORKSHOP

2. Introductions

3. 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

4. You will be working together and role playing • Groups: • Producers • Commodity associations • Other participants: • Media • Regulators

5. PRODUCERS

6. PRODUCER GROUP 1: TARHEEL ACRES GROWERS • Conventional, organic, transition organic • Piedmont • Large packing facility • Pack for neighboring farms • Mainly wholesale, Carrboro Farmers’ Market • Raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries

7. Producer group 2: Plott Hound Creek Farms • Small-ish farmer • Conventional production mainly • Newton Grove • Direct market foodservice, wholesale and farm stand • Blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries

8. Producer group 3: Rising Sun Farms • Conventional • Medium size farm • Goldsboro • Mainly wholesale, Raleigh Farmers’ Market • Strawberries and blueberries • Chicken houses adjacent to field

9. Producer group 4: Strawberries -R- Us • Small farm • U-pick and farmstand • Along I-95 • Eastern NC • Strawberries

10. COMMODITY ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS • NC Strawberry Association • NC Blueberry Council, Inc • NC Commercial Blackberry and Raspberry Growers Association • United Fresh Produce Association

11. Media -- Our journalistic team • News and Observer • Charlotte Observer • CNN • Perez Hilton • Late night television • WRAL • Twitter • Google alerts

12. NOVEMBER 10, 2011 -- PRESS RELEASE • NC Department of Health says “There are an increased number of illnesses which are linked together with a genetic fingerprint” • Hepatitis A • 24 illnesses in 14 NC counties (all around state) • Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been dispatched

13. Hepatitis A • Transmitted by fecal-oral route • Human sewage • Low infectious dose • Incubation period • 2-6 weeks • Permanent immunity, vaccine available • Very resistant to chemicals • Hepatitis A associated with consumption of frozen strawberries – Michigan, 1997 • Hepatitis A associated with consumption of frozen strawberries – Georgia and Montana, 1990

14. November 12, 2011 -- More information trickles out • Outbreak in NC, and sporadic cases in VT, OR, and WA -- all genetic matches • NC health officials have warned residents not to eat fresh strawberries because sufferers reported having eaten them • OR Department of Health says “may be associated with strawberries” • National conference call

15. NOVEMBER 16, 2011 HEPATITIS A -- NC HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS IT’S STRAWBERRIES • 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?

16. November 17, 2011 -- Press conference • Announced that it is strawberry-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 strawberries are causing the illnesses; and we don't want to wait until we find out and then learn that people were getting sick.”

17. WHAT ELSE HAPPENS? • Media attention • Blogs, Twitter, and Youtube • Increased testing of strawberries • Buyer questions • Local demand? • Strawberry sales plummet

18. Big Town Caterers • Large company • Made fruit salad and berry covered desserts • Produce sourced by • Rising Sun Farms • Plott Hound Creek Farm

19. Damage Control • Strawberries-R-Us • 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 good agricultural practices • Increase in demand for berries at Farmer’s market – sell out of berries every weekend

20. 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?

21. November 22, 2011 -- Outbreak has been traced to Plott Hound Creek Farms

22. 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

23. November 22, 2011 -- Recall • How do you get the product back? • Where did it go? • What documentation do you need ? • Other groups roles in this?

24. FDA, CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION, ASKS FOR: • Flow charts • Lab reports • HACCP/SSOP records • Production records • Distribution records

25. ON-FARM INVESTIGATION • Where they might start looking on-farm • Water • Worker health and hygiene • Wildlife

26. NOVEMBER 24, 2011 -- MORE INFO ABOUT THE IMPLICATED SITE ARISES… • Septic tank issues on farm • Direct to store • Implicated product went to consumers

27. WINTER 2011 -- RECOVERY • Outbreak is over • What’s next? • Who is affected? • What needs to be done to get things back on track?

28. SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? • Be prepared for outbreaks • Have a plan to manage a crisis • Be available • Monitor what people are saying about industry/products • Use non-print methods • Take control of the story