Is it good enough?

Is the GAP/GHPs standard that will be adopted by the California leafy greens marketing agreement good enough to prevent another outbreak of E. coli linked to spinach or lettuce from California? Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, isn't convinced.

I talked with him this afternoon and he argues that until produce marketers have a baseline of E. coli (and other pathogen) measurements of soil, water and product throughout the production system, it is not a science-based system.
"The goal is to develop baseline information, test the water, test the crops, and you find out where the E. coli 0157 is and how prevalent it is, then you can see what you have to deal with."

He said simply "pulling a number out of the air" and saying that a generic E. coli count is or isn't acceptable doesn't mean the standard is science based.

Doyle comes from a background with the meat industry where buyers sorted their preference for meat suppliers based the product's salmonella and E. coli levels.

"That's what we are going to have to do today," he said.

TK: Doyle worries that if there are more outbreaks related to E. coli on leafy greens or perhaps salmonella on other commodities, the FDA might be forced to protect their credibility by recommending that young children, the elderly and immune-compromised avoid some produce items. "I think the industry needs to get the message it is walking on eggs right now," Doyle told me.

Doyle is a voice in the wilderness, and he may be a prophet.

The earth is flat

I'm stunned; another processed food marketer is piggybacking on the good for you glow of fresh produce. Here, Consumer Reports checks out Flat Earth Fruit and Veggie Crisps. What's the verdict?

Here is an excerpt:

As chips go, this new product is enjoyable and more nutritious than regular potato or corn chips. But for health's sake, you're better off with a serving of unprocessed vegetables or fruit.
The baked fruit and veggie crisps promise not only great taste but also a half-serving of real fruit or vegetables in every ounce.
....

Like most produce-themed chips, these are no substitute for the real thing. While all the Flat Earth crisps provide a decent dose of vitamin C, and the vegetable crisps provide vitamin A (see table), they have significantly more fat and calories per ounce, and in the case of the veggie crisps, a lot more sodium than their vegetable counterparts. They're also generally lower in fiber and have less of vitamins A and C. That's in part because the processing and heat required to turn fruits and vegetables into chips likely destroys many of their healthful phytochemicals, including the antioxidants (though baking destroys fewer phytochemicals than frying). Call it the veggie-chip curse.What about the claim that every ounce contains a half-serving of fruits or vegetables? A spokesman for Frito-Lay said that each 1-ounce serving contains one-half a USDA recommended serving of the relevant fruits and vegetables that are then chopped up and dried.


TK: I can't believe they are marketing the fact that each 1-ounce serving contains one-half a serving of fruits or vegetables. While I guess I should commend them for making a more tasty chip, they are blatantly hijacking the 5 a Day/More Matters fresh produce message.That's tantamount to saying the earth is flat, and thus the irony. Cease and desist with the half a serving nonsense, Frito-Lay.