Florida Tomato Growers Support State Inspections
The produce industry is making noise about food safety. From growers to grocers, everyone seems to now be on the safety bandwagon. Unlike California spinach growers, though, Florida tomato growers are asking for more government regulation and inspections.
Tomato growers have weathered 12 outbreaks of Salmonella in the past decade, including a nationwide outbreak in 2006 linked to sliced tomatoes. Because tomatoes often take a long and winding route to customers—packing, repacking, chopping, slicing, and dicing—foodborne pathogens have numerous opportunities to contaminate the tomatoes.
In an attempt to prevent foodborne pathogen contamination, Florida tomato growers are backing a bill in the Florida legislature that would require food-safety inspections of all tomato fields, greenhouses and packinghouses. These growers want more than self-regulation by the industry because they know self-regulation does not work.
Even after hundreds of people have been sickened and at least 3 killed by spinach in 2006, the spinach industry is still fighting against government regulation and oversight. Continued self-regulation by the spinach industry will lead to more outbreaks.
For information on E. coli, Salmonella, and other foodborne pathogens, please see the Pritzker law website, www.pritzkerlaw.com. To contact Fred Pritzker, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.
