Taco John's in focus

Doug Powell of the KSU Food Safety Network passes on links to a series of stories about the Taco John's lettuce-related e. coli outbreak. Below are the hyperlinked headlines from The Post Bulletin of Rochester, Minn.

Lettuce is supposed to be good for you -- isn't it?

The lede from this story by Jeff Hansel:

Ahhh, the prospect of a fresh lettuce salad with leafy greens and a light vinaigrette.

But is it safe?

Lettuce is one of the prime culprits in a rise of foodborne illnesses.

Food safety experts and federal authorities have a general idea why: Almost all lettuce-related outbreaks in recent years have either lacked a definitive source or been traced to California's Salinas Valley.

Produce-related outbreaks have made the restaurant dining experience -- or even a meal at home -- something to ponder before picking up the fork.

Source quoted:
Dr. Kirk Smith, supervisor of the Foodborne Disease Unit at the Minnesota Department of Health's Infectious Disease Epidemiology Division



Story#2

Taco John's bears the brunt of E. Coli fallout

The lede from Hansel:

Workers at the Austin restaurant did everything right.

The restaurant had even dazzled health inspectors with food safety expertise while passing an inspection just days before a foodborne illness outbreak in Iowa reverberated at a Taco John's restaurant in Austin, and another in Albert Lea.

A wide range of officials agree that Taco John's did nothing wrong.

Sources quoted:
Terri Kaiser of Albert Lea,
Brian Dixon, vice president of marketing for Taco John's International
Attorney Dave Babcock, of the Marler Clark law firm of Seattle, which is representing clients who ate at Taco John's restaurants.
Margene Gunderson, director of Health Services for Mower County
Dr. Kirk Smith, a veterinarian and supervisor of the Foodborne, Vectorborne and Zoonotic Diseases Unit of the Minnesota Department of Health.

Story #3

Special report: Is the food you eat making you sick?

Lede from Hansel story:

Minnesota set a record for foodborne illness outbreaks in 2006.

Outbreaks of illness from lettuce, spinach, hamburger and tomatoes have many people wondering what's going on.

Source:
Dr. Kirk Smith, supervisor of the foodborne disease unit at the Minnesota Department of Health's Infectious Disease Epidemiology Division.

TK: This series leaned heavily on state and local health authorities. Those officials attempt to explain what has been done relative to food safety, and it is not easy for readers to understand. This graph illustrates the point:

Smith said, without elaborating, that "attempts to make changes have been stopped" by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, "for political reasons."

TK: Communicating to consumers what has been done to enhance produce safety is not an easy task, and the multi-faceted explanation (leafy greens agreement in California, (GAP standards for tomatoes in Florida, etc., etc.) may leave consumers unmoved. Just what exactly is the simple message to deliver to fresh produce consumers about food safety?