Recall - Firm press release

Once again, from the FDA:

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. Recalls Whole Cantaloupes Grown by Agropecuaria Montelibano, Honduras, Due to Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Chiquita Brands International, Inc.
(800) 242-5472

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Cincinnati, OH -- March 27, 2008 -- Chiquita Brands International, Inc. today announced a voluntary recall of cantaloupes grown, packed and shipped by an independent third-party grower, Agropecuaria Montelibano in Honduras. The product was distributed to customers nationwide and is being recalled because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of food-borne Salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Individuals who have recently eaten cantaloupe and experienced any of these symptoms should contact their health care professional.

The cantaloupes were distributed for sale throughout the US and Canada in cardboard cartons with the brands "Mike's Melons," "Mayan Pride" and "Chiquita" all showing "PRODUCE OF HONDURAS" printed on each of the side panels of the carton. The address of the shipper appears on one end panel of the carton as follows:

GROWN, PACKED AND SHIPPED BY:
AGROPECUARIA MONTELIBANO
SAN LORENZO, VALLE, HONDURAS

Chiquita advises that U.S. grocers, food service operators and produce processors remove from their stock all recall product. Chiquita also advises consumers who have recently bought cantaloupes to check with the place of purchase to determine if the fruit came from this specific grower and packer. If so, consumers should throw away the cantaloupes.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (800) 242-5472.

Recall - firm press release

Again, from the FDA:

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Bounty Fresh, LLC. Recalls Cantaloupe Because of Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Bounty Fresh, LLC
305-592-6969

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Miami, FL -- March 27, 2008 -- Bounty Fresh, LLC, has recalled cantaloupes from Agropecuaria Montelibano, a Honduran grower and packer because the U.S Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has determined, based on current information, that cantaloupe fruit from this company has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e. infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The recalled product was distributed nationwide to wholesalers and grocery stores. Whole cantaloupe fruits subject to this recall are packed three melons in a sleeve under the brand "Chestnut Hill Farms" and one melon per sleeve under the "Perfect Melon" brand. Individual melons are not labeled, but sleeves contain tags that say either "Perfect Melon" (one count) or "Chestnut Hill Farms" (3 count). Whole cantaloupe fruits subject to this recall were sold in boxes marked with the following text: "Cantaloupe, "Chestnut Hill Farms" (3 count) or "Perfect Melon" (one count) , Produce of Honduras, Grown, Packed and Shipped by Agropecuaria Montelibano, San Lorenzo, Valle, Honduras". All boxes also contain the Chestnut Hill Farms logo.

This recall has been initiated based on the FDA"s determination, based on current information, that cantaloupe fruit from the referenced grower/packer appears to be associated with a Salmonella Litchfield outbreak in the United States and Canada.

Consumers who have recently bought whole cantaloupes from this specific grower and packer should destroy these products immediately. Consumers with questions may contact Raul Romero, Bounty Fresh, LLC at 305-592-6969.

Should we be surprised?

How do you evaluate the FDA's recent handling of the case of Honduras cantaloupe imports? Considering the fact that 14 people were hospitalized, I don't think you can characterize the agency's actions as anything but appropriate. As painful as it is, the action against one Honduras firm is more targeted than in 2002, when FDA's moved broadly against Mexican cantaloupe imports.

Here is a story from November 2002 about the FDA's countrywide alert for Mexican cantaloupes:


FDA blocks imports of Mexican cantaloupes
By Tom Karst, National Editor
In a hard-line move that could have marketplace repercussions for weeks and perhaps months, the Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 28 issued a countrywide alert for Mexican cantaloupes, effectively stopping all imports of the fruit until the FDA clears individual Mexican shipper.
The action was not in response to a food safety scare.
Instead, the dramatic and controversial move relates to Salmonella outbreaks during 2000, 2001 and earlier this year that were traced to Mexican cantaloupe.
Two deaths and 18 hospitalizations were linked to a 2001 outbreak in California that was traced to Mexican fruit, the FDA said.
In its long-anticipated decision, the agency said it issued the import alert on a nationwide basis, rather than limit the scrutiny to a particular region. The action resulted in an immediate stop to all cantaloupe imports from Mexico, which were just beginning.
According to the FDA's import alert document, the agency's product tracing investigations implicated Mexican cantaloupes from the states of Michoacan and Guerrero as the source of four outbreaks. However, the FDA said it issued a countrywide alert because of positive results from salmonella testing of cantaloupe from other producing states during random sampling in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
The agency also said it felt the alert was necessary because of the industry practice of commingling melons from various states for shipment to the U.S.
Matt McInerney, executive vice president of Western Growers, Newport Beach, Calif., said the FDA move was encouraging.
"We think it is a great sign by the FDA to be proactive on the issue of salmonella on Mexican cantaloupe," he said.
He said the FDA rules will provide incentive to Mexican growers to validate their safety practices but won't prevent the vast majority from supplying the U.S. market.
Unfairly penalized? Enrique Lobo, minister for agricultural affairs at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., said the action penalizes many companies that have never been associated with a food safety incident. In an Oct. 30 news release, Lobo said the incident has "seriously threatened" the U.S.-Mexico working relationship.
Despite cooperative agreements with the USDA and Health and Human Services Department, Lobo said Mexico was given only a few hours' notice before the ban.
Noting that Mexico was considering its options under the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization, Lobo said Mexican growers were being unfairly discriminated against.
Stephen Martori, president of Martori Farms, Scottsdale, Ariz., said the FDA action will have long-term benefit.
"I'm just very disappointed it couldn't have been handled a couple of years ago and that Mexico would have chosen the route the U.S. has and complied with food safety concerns on a voluntary basis," he said. "I think the position from the domestic producers is certainly we cannot sustain another outbreak and whatever measures have to be taken have to be taken."
Martori, who doesn't import cantaloupe from Mexico, but does from Guatemala and Honduras, predicted adequate cantaloupe supply until late November, when supply from Hermosillo comes on.
It is uncertain when Mexican suppliers will be back in the U.S. market.
A meeting of Mexican cantaloupe shippers and growers in Nogales, Ariz., Oct. 30 helped detail measures shippers can take to be removed from the "detain without physical examination" list. About 100 Mexican shippers export cantaloupes to the U.S., said Lee Frankel, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, Nogales.
The FDA said Mexican firms can be removed from the list after sending information supporting the adequacy of a firm's procedures relating to water quality, manure use and biosolids, worker health and hygiene, sanitary facilities and other issues relating to equipment and transportation.The FDA said it will give priority to scheduling inspections to firms and growers who provide certification from a third-party auditor with experience in agricultural or transportation processes.
A big concern, Frankel said, is how long Mexican growers and shippers will have to wait on the FDA for clearance. Some Mexican shippers may submit information on their operations to the FDA by early November.
Hank Giclas, Western Growers' vice president of science and technology affairs, said the FDA and Mexico are collaborating on a certification program with Mexican growers that would allow growers to document their use of good agricultural practices.
Because the FDA had all available information in July, Frankel said it was disappointing that the agency's policy was not issued until late October, just when early Mexican cantaloupe shipments from Sonora were set to cross.


TK: Meanwhile, here is news that U.S. inspectors are headed to Honduras to inspect the farm and facilities at Agropecuaria Montelibano.
The FDA's action has impacted all of Honduras melon producers - and indeed the cloud over cantaloupes could potentially harm U.S. producers as well. This is not an import versus domestic issue, although it is true that the FDA doesn't seem to have the same controls in place for U.S. production. The track record of traceback investigations doesn't necessarily speak to a quick resolution, but the entire industry will only suffer if episode is protracted.


From the AP:

The Bush administration assured Honduran officials Thursday it would act quickly to inspect the cantaloupe growing and packing facilities that exported melons linked to dozens of cases of salmonella in 16 states. The Food and Drug Administration blocked imports of cantaloupes from Honduras-based Agropecuaria Montelibano after the illnesses were reported. No deaths were reported, but 14 people were hospitalized. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and other U.S. officials met with their counterparts from Honduras, who urged creation of a joint task force to inspect the facilities."I committed to them we will have people on the ground tomorrow," Leavitt said in an interview.He said a team from the Centers for Disease Control and the FDA had been sent. "Their concern is we act as expeditiously as good science will allow," he said.

Pamela's Kitchen

You'll enjoy Pamela R of The Packer preparing a produce creation in her very own kitchen.

IYOP

Dean Kleckner, an Iowa farmer, chairs Truth About Trade & Technology. www.truthabouttrade.org. He writes here about the colorful past and intriguing future of the potato - particularly wondering if genetically modified spuds will have a future.


Surely you’ve heard that 2008 is the year of a presidential election here in the United States, as well as the year of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Personally, I hope that 2008 will be a good one for the St. Louis Cardinals, whose season gets started on Monday.
This is also the International Year of the Potato, according to a decree by the United Nations. In 2008, the UN wants “to increase awareness of the importance of the potato as a food in developing nations.”

It’s the world’s fourth-most-important crop, after corn, wheat, and rice. The French call it the “ground apple” and my farming friends in Sweden call it an “earth pear”—succulent names for a blue-collar root vegetable that is one of agriculture’s great workhorses. “The potato produces more nutritious food more quickly, on less land, and in harsher climates than any other major crop,” says a UN website.

The potato is grown all over the world, with about half of its harvest taking place in developing countries. It’s rich in calories, making it an excellent source of energy—especially in nations that are more concerned about malnutrition than the low-carb Atkins diet. Finally, demand for it is growing.

So the potato looks to have a bright future. But it also has a rich past, and it has played a crucial role in economics, trade, and globalization.
The plant is native to South America, where farmers have grown it for thousands of years. The earliest potatoes, according to the Oxford Companion to Food, were “small, misshapen, and knobbly” and tasted bitter. Through breeding (genetic changes), they became bigger, rounder, and more appetizing.

The European encounter with the New World began the potato’s process of globalization. In the 16th century, farmers in Spain and Italy planted their first potatoes. Then the crop spread everywhere. Its advantages were significant enough to overcome occasional religious objections, based on the concern that the potato isn’t mentioned anywhere in the Bible. The Irish came up with a clever solution to this problem: They sprinkled holy water on their seed potatoes and planted them on Good Friday.

Because potatoes are packed with calories and easy to grow, their cultivation in Europe made it possible for large numbers of people to move from farms to cities. They “liberated workers from the land,” writes The Economist, and thereby planted the seeds for the industrial revolution.

Potatoes also fueled international trade, in a completely unexpected way. In the early 19th century, Britain imposed hefty tariffs known as the Corn Laws. Their purpose was to shield domestic agriculture from foreign competition. The result was to keep food prices artificially high, which helped rich landowners but frustrated uppity manufacturers who wanted British consumers to enjoy more disposable income. That’s always the price of protectionism: More money for special interests, and less cash for ordinary people.

It took the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s to repeal the Corn Laws. Sir Robert Peel, the Conservative prime minister, called for their abolition so that the starving people of Ireland could have something to eat. Peel’s moral argument prevailed, though this success soon cost him his political career.

Growing potatoes may be relatively ‘easy’ but breeding a healthier and stronger potato that has consumer benefits like antioxidants, enhanced vitamins (C, A and E) and improved starch content is difficult and a long, slow process using traditional breeding. That’s just how the potato works. Today, researchers are using intragenics – using biotechnology to introduce new traits from other potato varieties – to produce potatoes with these added-value attributes.

Modern agricultural practices make the appearance of a new potato famine unlikely. Even so, the potato finds itself at the center of a new controversy in Europe, where farmers would like a special GM variety approved for use. The potato in question isn’t even grown for food. Instead, it generates a starch that’s an industrial ingredient for glossy paper, adhesive cement, and other products.

The EU’s unnecessary restrictions on GM crops are the Corn Laws of our time, especially because they’re holding back poor nations in Africa and elsewhere from adopting advanced agricultural practices. Europe could hardly choose a better time or rationale than the International Year of the Potato for rethinking its small-minded opposition to sensible biotechnology.

Recall - Firm press release

From the FDA:

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Simply Fresh Fruit Announces Nationwide Recall of Some Fresh Cut Fruit Products Containing Cantaloupe Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

Contact:
Simply Fresh Fruit
(323) 586-0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Los Angeles, California -- March 27, 2008 --- Simply Fresh Fruit, of Los Angeles, California is recalling selected fresh cut fruit products which may contain cantaloupe which has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. On March 26, 2008, Simply Fresh was requested by its supplier, Tropifresh, Inc to recall products produced with cantaloupe from Agropecuaria Montelibano. Simply Fresh had begun to recover this product earlier, on March 24, based on a notice published
By the U.S. FDA.

The products being recalled include: Simply Fresh Fruit Brand food service Fruit Mix in Syrup products dated “sell by 4 – 18 08” or earlier, food service Cantaloupe Chunks in Syrup products dated “sell by 4 – 08 8” or earlier, and retail and club store Simply Fresh, Fresh Cut Fruit Brand containing cantaloupe dated “sell by 3 – 29 8”or earlier. Retail and club store products involved were removed from sale prior to Monday, March 24. Foodservice distributors who sell their own brand, have been notified, and are recalling the products involved. Foodservice products are packed in plastic pails or jars, and retail products are packed in plastic trays.

Symptoms of food borne Salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.

We are unaware to date of any illnesses that may be associated with any products containing cantaloupe, sold by Simply Fresh Fruit, or its distributors.

Food Service establishments who have any of the products involved should contact their supplier for disposition instructions. Consumers with questions may contact Simply Fresh Fruit at (323) 586-0000.

Taking the Mouse South

Imagination Farms announces that they are marketing Disney branded fresh produce in Mexico. From their news release:

Imagination Farms is continuing its mission to increase children’s consumption of fresh produce by taking its message and Disney branded fresh produce program to consumers in Mexico. "Mexico is a very attractive market for Disney and for our program. We are excited to be working with one of the strongest brands in the world to further our mission of increasing the consumption of fresh produce,” remarked Matthew Caito, CEO of Imagination Farms. “Mexico was also a natural extension for us due to the fact that many of our current suppliers already do business with Mexican retailers or grow products in Mexico. Our team has been working for nearly a year to build a program that will speak directly to Mexican consumers with branding and marketing programs tailored to Mexican consumers.”
The Disney program in Mexico will feature similar products and packaging as that of the U.S., but with Disney’s global brand standard and Spanish language packaging. Categories to be represented in Mexico include apples, pears, cherries, stone-fruit, mangos, watermelons, vegetables, berries, bananas, pineapples, papayas, and tomatoes. The company is working with its Mexican growers and shippers to ensure that Disney products will meet and exceed Mexico’s Calidad Suprema good agricultural program (GAP) requirements.
As in the United States, the Disney program in Mexico will include both commodity and value added items, and will continue to provide focus on marketing strategies that engage and educate parents and children through the use of kid-friendly packaging and merchandising.
The Disney fresh produce program in Mexico debuted with the introduction of Disney Garden apples and pears from Chelan Fresh and L&M Companies in January and February. The company also featured several categories and growers at its booth at the ANTAD trade show in Guadalajara in early March. Fruit Patch Sales of Dinuba, CA expects to introduce the next batch of Disney products in Mexico with the launch of Disney stone fruit, including peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots in May. Progreso Produce of Boerne, TX, will begin marketing Disney watermelons and mangoes later this spring in Mexico. Additional Mexican-based growers of pineapples, bananas, strawberries, watermelons and mangoes will be announced by the company in the coming weeks and months.

Kathy Means - ATAC

It is good to see Kathy Means back in the news cycle, and this news release from PMA indicates a prestigious appointment for the long time association exec. From PMA:


Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Vice President of Government Relations Kathy Means has been named to serve the 2008-2012 term on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables. Appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, Means is one of 34 chosen nationally to sit on the committee.

The ATAC for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables provides technical information, advice, and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative on matters specific to produce. The committee is part of the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Trade Representatives Agriculture Advisory program, which includes the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee and five other commodity-specific ATACs in addition to fruits and vegetables. The program’s committees ensure cooperation between the federal government and private sector on agricultural trade issues.

“I’m honored to have been selected and ready to act as a voice for our industry at this influential level,” Means commented. “On behalf of PMA, I have been involved in food safety and security issues, immigration reform, country of origin labeling, and other critical industry concerns. Those experiences will help me advocate in the interests of the produce industry and PMA’s members.”

The USTR defers to the committee’s counsel on “…U.S. negotiating objectives and bargaining positions before the United States enters into trade agreements; on the operation of existing trade agreements; and on other matters related to the development, implementation, and administration of U.S. agricultural trade policy.”

“Advisory committee members must balance varied perspectives, are recognized leaders in their fields, and possess significant knowledge of the effects trade barriers or lack of barriers have on fruits and vegetables,” said PMA President Bryan Silbermann. “Kathy fits the role perfectly, and PMA is thrilled the USTR recognizes the same leadership qualities in Kathy our association and membership is fortunate to benefit from every day.”

Means joined PMA in 1989 and is responsible for government affairs, public affairs, and self-regulatory programs in addition to leading the association’s food safety and security efforts. Prior to PMA, she spent nine years with The Packer, the trade newspaper for the produce industry, as an editor and reporter. She earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1996, and carries a master’s in nonprofit management and bachelor's degrees in journalism and French.