Harkin - salmonella statement

From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:

Statement of Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA)

National Trace-Back System, Better FDA Techniques
Could Have Identified Salmonella Culprit Sooner

Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), the Chairman of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the following statement after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified jalapeno peppers as the source of the recent Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Leavitt last week, Harkin said that the outbreak demonstrated the need for better coordination and communication among federal agencies, industry, and the states, as well as a strong trace-back system to determine the source of food-borne illness outbreaks. To view the letter, click here.

“Nearly three months have lapsed since the first case of Salmonella Saintpaul was diagnosed. While the number of cases grew to over 1200 sick people and consumers began questioning the safety of our food supply, it is only now that the FDA has been able to identify the source of contamination. This is far too long for an outbreak to spread unresolved and it is unacceptable for public health, farmers and the food and produce industry.

“It is long past time for the government to take comprehensive steps to improve our response to food-borne illness outbreaks. It is time for a national trace-back system and better FDA techniques, which could have identified the Salmonella culprit sooner.”


TK: Harkin's interpretation of events may be slightly different than the FDA's. Whether the FDA has assigned blame to jalapenos can only be inferred at this point. In any case, traceability moves to the legislative front burner.