Bill Aims to Prevent E. coli Outbreaks
The California Senate Agriculture Committee recently approved three bills whose aim is to lower the occurance of E. coli outbreaks associated with produce such as spinach, lettuce, and sprouts. The senate wants to impose tougher safety standards that would regulate water, fertilizer and toilet use in fields; develop and implement systems to quickly trace, recall and quarantine contaminated produce; and require those who grow leafy greens to be licensed by the state.
The bill was spurred by an outbreak of E. coli caused by contaminated spinach and lettuce last year that killed at least three people. Although most people are familiar with E. coli being caused by contaminated meat products, leafy greens are also a common source of E. coli infections. Leafy greens can easily be contaminated by fertilizers or contaminated water. If contaminated leafy greens are not adequately cleaned or cooked, they can cause infection. If the E. coli bacteria is within the leaf itself, no amount of washing will get rid of it.
For obvious reasons, the California Farm Bureau Federation and Western Growers Associations are against the bill, saying they are going to impose their own safety standards.
But in cases of consumer health, it can be necessary for the government to step in and require that basic safety standards required in other industries are implemented by growers of leafy greens.