June 16 CDC Update - tomatoes and salmonella

Wendy's and Taco Bell adding tomatoes to their menu again. Nothing new from the FDA yet, but here is yesterday's update from the CDC on tomatoes/salmonella Saintpaul. How long can the FDA wait before giving us something more definite? When they do, will anyone still be listening? From the CDC update, another recounting of the numbers:

Since April, 277 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 28 states and the District of Columbia: Arkansas (2 persons), Arizona (19), California (6), Colorado (1), Connecticut (2), Florida (1), Georgia (7), Idaho (3), Illinois (34), Indiana (7), Kansas (8), Kentucky (1), Maryland (1), Michigan (2), Missouri (4), New Mexico (68), New York (2), North Carolina (1), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (4), Oregon (3), Tennessee (4), Texas (68), Utah (2), Virginia (16), Vermont (1), Washington (1), Wisconsin (5), and the District of Columbia (1). These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. Among the 202 persons with information available, illnesses began between April 10 and June 5, 2008. Patients range in age from <1>Salmonella Saintpaul at the time of his death. The infection may have contributed to his death.


TK: Check out this story about the learning curve of the consumer media and the industry:

Tracking the business behind the tomato

Adjusted expectations

Millions of acres of flooded farm land in the Midwest could up food price inflation expectations to as much 9% this year, analysts said this morning. Food price inflation in 2007 was a touch over 4%. Fruits and vegetables haven't shown much upward price level at retail in recent weeks, however. The latest Consumer Price Index for May showed the index for fruits and vegetables, which increased 2% in April, was virtually unchanged in May. A 0.7% decline in the indexes for fresh fruits offset increases in the indexes for fresh vegetables and processed fruits and vegetables - up 0.5 and 0.4 % respectively. Higher fuel and fertilizer costs and lower expectations for Chiquita took a toll on both Chiquita and Fresh Del Monte yesterday.

Fruit falls from Chiquita's tree

Fresh Del Monte shares drop 20 percent

The triple bottom line

The FMI Sustainability Summit here in Minneapolis is well attended (over 300 registered) and the event has started off with two workshops on Monday. For some in the audience, the discussions were not necessarily plowing new ground, but many big picture topics were taken up today, including global warming, the looming water crisis, limits to growth, consumer attitudes (greenwashing, or how "green" is that chain saw?).

Carter Roberts of the World Wildlife Fund delivered the keynote address, answering the question why sustainability is an imperative for retailers. His sober message; resource scarcity and climate change are two of the most important issues of our lifetime and the food chain must be able to do more with less.

The first workshop looked at consumer attitudes and values in the market place, and the second workshop reviewed the experience of three sustainability "pioneers." A highlight of that workshop was the presentation by Gene Kahn, former organic potato grower and now global sustainability officer with General Mills, Inc. who embraced the need and the value of conventional agriculture in helping to feed the world.


Of course, the starting point for FMI is the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. FMI's definition of sustainability is "business practices that promote the long term well being of the environment, society and the bottom line.


FMI recently approved a policy on plastic bags that includes provisions to maximize use of reusable bags and promote comprehensive recycling of plastic bags.


It sounds as if FMI will consider resources needed to develop a "carbon footprint plan" for the retail trade, in addition to other work with the supply chain on sustainability standards.