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FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAK SIMULATION WORKSHOP

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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FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAK SIMULATION WORKSHOP

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  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

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