Invites extended

Just to let you know I've invited a couple of more guest bloggers to Fresh Talk. I will let them introduce themselves when the time comes. I think about three to five guest bloggers at any given time may serve Fresh Talk readers well.......

A lurker comment

My plea for comments has paid dividends already. Here is a fresh comment sent to me from the tips form on the right. Note that the commenter likes the volunteer posts; again, those are by Rick Bella of America's Second Harvest, our guest blogger. Thanks for the input.


Tom: The proposed change to the food irradiation label sounds like an excellent idea. Kind of believe anything with the word radiation is likely a dud, so just to get the ball rolling, how about "High Energy Pasteurization"? Re-designing the logo (if any required) could be as important. Of course, don't eat poop even if it is "high energy pasteurized". Enjoyed your volunteering posts. Having volunteered as a kind of agribusiness education consultant in Guatemala and felt both deeply satisfied as well as incredibly frustrated about the experience. In retrospect, sometimes is better to just get out of the way and let the local motivated experts (i.e. entrepreneurs) work their magic. I would like to suggest taking a look/blog at organizations like Kiva. http://www.kiva.org/ Thank you for the time an effort you invest in your excellent blog, Regards, Lurker

Irradiation by any other name would sound better

Irradiation may get an image makeover. The FDA has proposed softening the labeling requirement for irradiation.


From the FDA rule

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to revise its labeling regulations applicable to foods (including dietary supplements) for which irradiation has been approved by FDA. FDA is proposing that only those irradiated foods in which the irradiation causes a material change in the food, or a material change in the consequences that may result from the use of the food, bear the radura logo and the term ``irradiated,'' or a derivative thereof, in conjunction with explicit language describing the change in the food or its conditions of use. For purposes of this rulemaking, we are using the term ``material change'' to refer to a change in the organoleptic, nutritional, or functional properties of a food, caused by irradiation, that the consumer could not identify at the point of purchase in the absence of appropriate labeling
FDA is also proposing to allow a firm to petition FDA for use of an alternate term to ``irradiation'' (other than ``pasteurized''). In addition, FDA is proposing to permit a firm to use the term ``pasteurized'' in lieu of ``irradiated,'' provided it notifies the agency that the irradiation process being used meets the criteria specified for use of the term ``pasteurized'' in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act) and the agency does not object to the notification. This proposed action is in response to the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA) and, if finalized, will provide consumers with more useful information than the current regulation.

TK: Comments accepted on this proposed rule through July 3. I think it makes sense and enough people are clamoring for irradiation on fresh produce for food safety reasons that I think this sails through.

Comments welcome

I know some of you readers have hesitated to post comments because of the hoops to jump through (registering with google the chief among them). I would encourage you to push through that issue - it is not that tough.

One other option for you is to post a comment to the anonymous tips/comments form on the right. I will review those and post that myself as a reader comment if you desire.

By the way, thanks again to Rick Bella for providing some good insight to Fresh Talk readers on how to donate produce to the nation's food banks. We look forward to his thoughts here.

Problematic produce load? Finding an outlet can be easy!

Rick Bella reports a new system to assist the produce industry. The question that I receive the most is: “where can I find the food bank locations?” “How do I donate to your organization?” To assist with these types of inquiries, we have installed a very easy to use food bank locator on our website which allows a search by simply using a U.S. zip code. It appears right on the opening page of the America’s Second Harvest website: http://www.secondharvest.org Every zip code in the U.S. has a member food bank assigned to it. In fact, our network services every county in America. Yes, every one.

So let’s say you are facing a rejection at a receiver location warehouse... simply bring up the website and type in the 5-digit zip code of where the product is located. The local food bank member in that area will be displayed with all of the contact information that you’ll need. Naturally you may also contact me at any time for assistance. But when you need to react quickly or if I am not available, you can feel free to contact the member directly. In most cases, the food bank can assist you by taking the donation while at the same time lowering any disposal fees that could have been associated with dumping the load not to mention that it gets the truck unloaded which in many cases can help you to avoid additional freight fees due to delays with the truck.

The receiving food bank will issue a receipt to the donor of the produce for tax purposes. Feel free to check out the system. You just may learn that there is a food bank right in your home town! A great place to volunteer! Contact me at 800-771-2303 or email rbella@secondharvest.org

Plain talker

KSU food safety prof Doug Powell had this commentary on his daily newsletter today. As usual, Powell is compelling and not without controversy. More than anything, he is a plain talker, and that is always appreciated.

Don't eat poop -- and other lessons from spinach
Commentary from the International Food Safety Network
Douglas Powell
foodsafety.ksu.edu

Spinach and lettuce is once again being harvested in California and it's as safe as it was before the food poisoning outbreaks of last fall. Or 2005. Or after any of the other 29 leafy green outbreaks over the past 15 years.But there is some hope that the safety of leafy greens will improve. And it has nothing to do with calls for government inspections, new technology, or even pledges by growers to be extra super special careful.The final report on the fall 2006 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in spinach (http://www.DHS.ca.gov), which sickened 205 and killed three, has come and gone, interesting those in the business but largely a yawn to the salad-eating public -- a public that is skeptical and is buying 20-to-30 per cent less of the leafy green stuff than a year ago.Although the report by the California Department of Health Services along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other agencies may appear as too-little-too-late, it was actually groundbreaking.But in a boring way.Which is normal, because food safety, day-in-day-out, is largely boring and unheralded. People not getting sick and not dying is just not that exciting. This report, though, underscored at least three food safety truths which may at some point resonate with consumers which, in turn, may actually enhance the safety of leafy greens.The first line of defense is the farm, not the consumer.Since 1998, American consumers have been told to FightBac, that is to fight the dangerous bacteria and virus and parasites found in a variety of foods, by cooking, cleaning, chilling and separating their food. Solid advice, but limited. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good for us; we should eat more. Yet fresh fruits and vegetables are one of, if not the most significant source of foodborne illness today in North America. Because fresh produce is just that - fresh, and not cooked -- anything that comes into contact is a possible source of contamination. Every mouthful of fresh produce is an act of faith -- especially faith in the growers -- because once that E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella gets on, or inside, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts or melons, it is exceedingly difficult to remove.In 2004, Salmonella-contaminated Roma tomatoes used in prepared sandwiches sold at Sheetz convenience stores throughout Pennsylvania sickened over 400 consumers. The FightBac folks told the public that, "In all cases, the first line of defense to reduce risk of contracting foodborne illness is to cook, clean, chill and separate."Consumers were being told that when they stop by a convenience store and grab a ready-made sandwich, they should take it apart, grab the tomato slice, wash it, and reassemble the sandwich.Which would have done nothing to remove the Salmonella inside the tomatoes.The fall 2006 outbreaks finally focused the buying public on the farm.All ruminates -- cows, sheep, goats, deer -- can carry dangerous E. coli like the O157:H7 strain that sickened people in the spinach outbreak, as well as the Taco Bell and Taco Johns outbreaks ultimately traced to lettuce. The culturally-hip food aficionados, as well as the New York Times, have repeatedly insisted that leafy greens are contaminated by feedlot, factory-farmed cattle, and that grass-fed cattle have lower or no levels of the dangerous E. coli.No.The cattle found to carry the identical outbreak strain in 2006 near the ranch where the spinach was grown in California were grass-fed.The mythology surrounding corn-fed vs. grass-fed cattle and health implications, which is routinely featured at dinner parties hosted by local food advocates, is based on a 1999 study that has yet to be replicated; a little information is dangerous to public health.Intensive livestock operations are not, in themselves, the cause of such outbreaks nor would getting rid of such operations eliminate the risk of future outbreaks.In 1999, 90 children were stricken by E. coli O157:H7 at a fair in London, Ont. The source? A goat at a petting zoo -- hardly an intensively farmed animal.Any commodity is only as good as its worst grower.The recommended best practices for growing safe produce need to be practiced every day on every farm. That was a key message out of the California report. New manuals, guidelines and plans are not required; what is essential is that farmers and their staff follow the already established good agricultural practices on a daily basis. Yes more research is important, yes there are new technologies to be utilized, but given that produce is being pooled from multiple growers at the packing shed, how can consumers be assured that every grower is doing what they say they are doing?Calls for mandatory government inspection is akin to mandatory restaurant inspection -- it sets a bare minimum standard, is a snapshot in time, and has little to do with future outbreaks of food poisoning.Rules and regulations look pretty on paper. But they are not comforting to those 76 million Americans who get sick from the food and water they consume each and every year. Instead, every grower, packer, distributor, retailer and consumer needs to adopt a culture that actually values safe food.
The first company that can assure consumers they aren't eating poop on spinach, lettuce, tomatoes and any other fresh produce, will make millions and capture markets.

Douglas Powell is scientific director of the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University and has 10-years experience developing, implementing and assessing on-farm food safety programs for fresh produce.
dpowell@ksu.edu

Back to specialties

In Australia, specialty stores like greengrocers and butcher shops are treading on the dominance of the supermarket. In my view, a majority of U.S. retail produce executives would probably love nothing more than running their own specialty produce shop. If they truly wanted to follow their heart and not align their valuable talents with multi billion dollar corporations, we may see them operating the type of specialty stores described in this feature. To those guys, I say: Don't wait too long!

This story describes the trend.

Rising patronage of specialty and traditional fresh food outlets (green grocers, fish markets, butchers and bakeries) is threatening to eat away at supermarkets’ ‘share of stomach’ as consumers increasingly shop around in search of the freshest food offer, a report released today by The Nielsen Company reveals.By combining data from its retail measurement service, Homescan consumer panel and Winning Brands Store Equity Model, the 2006 Nielsen ShopperTrends Report provides unique insight into the current Australian grocery retailing environment and shopper behaviour.According to the report, supermarkets remain the dominant retail trade channel driven by frequent consumer patronage (98 percent of survey respondents claimed to have visited a supermarket in the past seven days).However, the supermarket channel could face some competitive pressure as the popularity of fresh food outlets rises.When respondents were asked what type of specialty food store they had visited in the past seven days, 34 percent said they had visited a fish shop and/or butcher (up 5 percentage points from 2005), half (50 percent) had visited a fruit and vegetable store (up 7 percentage points from 2005), and half had visited a bakery (also up 7 percentage points from 2005). The vast majority of consumers said that they most frequently visited a supermarket when it came to purchasing categories such as ice cream (76 percent), biscuits (90 percent), shampoo (76 percent), laundry detergent (86 percent), snacks (80 percent), confectionery (77 percent) and cooking oil (93 percent). However, when it came to purchasing fresh produce, supermarket loyalty was lower with around three in five consumers claiming to most frequently purchase their fresh fruit and vegetables (60 percent) and fresh meat, chicken, fish or seafood (63 percent) from a supermarket.While around a third of respondents said that they most frequently purchased their fruit and vegetables in a traditional green grocer (35 percent) and their fresh meat, chicken and seafood in a butcher or fish shop (32 percent).In a separate study conducted on Nielsen’s Online Omnibus, consumers were asked why they chose to most frequently purchase their fresh produce outside of a supermarket, and overwhelmingly it was the perception of quality that was the driving factor — with 80 percent of these respondents citing quality as one of the reasons, followed by price (39 percent), location (39 percent), range/choice (35 percent) and service (12 percent).

300 million

One of Fresh Talk's readers passes along this story about Chinese food safety in advance of next year's Olympic games,and it makes the CDC's oft-quoted stat that 76 million U.S. consumers are sickened each year by foodborne illness look paltry.

Here is the link.

Here is an excerpt:

Outbreaks of food poisoning affect 300 million people in China every year, according to an Asian Development Bank report.
Experts say Chinese-grown produce is often contaminated by farmers using medicine, food additives and banned drugs like anabolic steroids to improve their crops and livestock.
Last September 336 people fell sick in Shanghai after eating pork contaminated with anabolic steroids.
Sales of turbot, a popular flatfish, were banned in parts of eastern China after they were found to contain carcinogens from antibiotics.
In Beijing 90 diners at one restaurant went to hospital suffering from meningitis after eating snails infested by parasites.

TK: A Chinese official said there will never be zero risk of contamination - right now it would appear the food based illness risk to consumers would be a number followed by a decimal point instead of preceded by one. And pork with anabolic steroids? A reader suggests Olympic athletes may want to have some of that in their freezer in case they test positive.