E. coli, Salmonella and Produce
There was a great article in USA Today yesterday, "Food-borne bacteria evolving, becoming more dangerous." Writer Elizabeth Weise managed to add some wit to an informative article about the increasing incidence of food poisoning outbreaks associated with produce. The article begins, "The first rule of public health is one most of us learn in kindergarten: Don't eat poop." The food safety gurus at the Food Safety Network, led by Dr. Douglas Powell, have adopted "Don't eat poop" as their new motto. Good motto, but consumers often don't know they are eating poop (hereinafter referred to as feces).
The recent E. coli outbreak killed 3 people and sickened over 200 others who unwittingly ate feces-contaminated spinach. The CDC is now investigating a Salmonella outbreak that is most likely linked to produce, possibly tomatoes or lettuce. It looks like tomatoes are the primary suspects. Consumers generally don't think about feces contamination with tomatoes, but in the summer of 2004 over 400 people who were served sliced tomatoes at deli counters in Sheetz gas stations got Salmonella infections. 30% of them ended up hospitalized. They ate feces and got sick. How could they have known?
There are two primary consumer-related problems with foodborne-pathogen-contaminated produce: 1) Consumers often eat produce raw (pathogens are not killed with heat) and 2) If the pathogen has grown inside the fruit or vegetable, it can't be washed off. Vegetable washes are flying off of the shelves as consumers attempt to protect themselves. But the onus of prevention has to fall on produce growers, shippers and retailers. Also, at some point, federal and state regulators have to look beyond economics and the political clout of the produce industry and effectively regulate all aspects of the industry.
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