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Step into a crisis situation as different groups such as producers and regulators work together to address foodborne illness outbreaks. Role-play scenarios, media involvement, and investigation processes will be simulated.
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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 and organic farm in the Piedmont with a large packing facility • Pack for neighboring farms and repack imports • Large grocery store chain • Peppers, leafy greens, strawberries, melons • Greens packaged under several names • Molly’s World, Pack It Out Produce, and Organic Medley
Producer group 2: Plott Hound Creek Farms • Conventional production small-ish farmer in Newton Grove • Mainly wholesale, Raleigh Farmers’ market • Leafy greens, peppers, and melons • Greens packaged under several names • Molly’s World, Pack It Out Produce, and The Farmer’s Way
Producer group 3: Rising Sun Farms • Conventional medium size farm in Goldsboro • Direct market foodservice, wholesale and direct-to-store • Leafy greens, peppers, strawberries, sweet corn • Dairy farm adjacent to field • Greens packaged under several names • Polly’s Produce and Pack It Out Produce
COMMODITY ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS • NC Vegetable Growers Association • Leafy Greens Council • United Fresh Produce Assocaition • NC Greenhouse Vegetable Growers 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” • Escherichia coli O157:H7 • 20 illnesses in NC • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been dispatched
August 17, 2011 -- More information trickles out • The fingerprint from NC and VA are an identical match linking the outbreaks • VA Department of Health says “thinks it is associated with prepackaged leafy greens mix bags” • Isolated strain from opened bad • Sporadic cases in TN and SC • National conference call
AUGUST 19, 2011 E. COLI O157:H7 -- VA HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONFIRMS IT’S BAGGED SALAD FROM PACK IT OUT PRODUCE • Isolated strain from unopened bag • 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 leafy greens-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 leafy greens 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 leafy greens • Buyer questions??? • Local demand? • Leafy greens 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 good agricultural practices • Increase in demand for leafy greens 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 Rising Sun Farms
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 and in the facility • Water • Worker health and hygiene • Wildlife • Well water
AUGUST 25, 2011 -- MORE INFO ABOUT THE IMPLICATED SITE ARISES… • Dairy farm uphill from produce fields • Implicated product went to other dealers • Wildlife tracks
Wildlife investigation • Evidence of wild pigs around irrigation wells • Physical presence of wild pigs in and around leafy greens fields • Wildlife tracks (primarily pig, but also some deer, raccoon, coyote, rodent, rabbit, and bird) and evidence of penetration of fences was observed • Reported damage to crops caused by pigs during thinning and harvesting of crops • Wild pig fecal material and rooting observed in adjacent fields
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
