Powell musings

I checked in with Doug Powell, KSU food safety professor, again today as I was tidying up his Q and A for The Packer. I asked him if he had seen the leafy greens draft GAP document and what he thought about it.

"I think there is a lot of hand waving," he said. What does that mean?, I inquired.
"People are going around acting like these are mysterious acts of God and I'm not sure that's the case."

While "rampaging pigs" and irrigation water have been given attention, Powell said soil amendments haven't been talked about much. "I"d be curious to see what they are adding to the soil," he said.

He said an upcoming FDA report on what specific farms the suspected tainted produce came from and what the farming practices were on those farms may be helpful.

"I hope (the FDA) identifies specific farms and farm practices," he said. Until that is done, a lot of the work may lack vital information.