Chat - David Mitchell

David Mitchell is senior writer for The Packer and has written dozens of stories about the salmonella outbreak investigation. I caught up with him briefly this afternoon....

me: David Mitchell...thanks for taking time for a Fresh Talk chat. You have been busy with salmonella stories for several months now - including today. I've counted 32 in the library (so far)!

4:00 PM david.edward.mitchell: I don't think that includes all the Web-only stories. There were some weeks at the height of this thing when we had double-digit updates per week. It's been crazy.

4:01 PM me: Yes, you have been keeping up amazingly well, and as you say with Web-first coverage. What can you tell us about the briefing today? Do you think it will give the industry "closure"?

4:04 PM david.edward.mitchell: The short version is that CDC said the outbreak is over because the number of cases being reported is down to what they would see under normal circumstances. FDA has lifted its consumer advisory for Mexican hot peppers. Neither agency is ready to say that tomatoes weren't an issue. I don't know about closure because there are still a lot of unanswered questions, but I think this will be a big relief to a lot of people. I think the best news for the industry is that the mainstream media likely will move on to something else. Coverage already had died down the past few weeks.

4:06 PM me: Yes, on the tomato question. I've noticed no matter how reporters have phrased questions, the CDC/FDA continue to say tomatoes had the "strong association" with the outbreak in the early investigation. While they do acknowledge the evidence is not as strong, I don't think the tomato folks will be satisfied.

4:07 PM david.edward.mitchell: No, the tomato industry wants some sort of admission that tomatoes were never to blame, but we might never know if that's really the case.

4:10 PM me: The FDA has some questions to answer, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out during the Bush Administration and into the next one. Any thoughts whether the industry will effectively be able to influence the produce safety legislation brewing in Congress?

4:11 PM Warning - I'm officially putting you in "pundit mode"

4:13 PM david.edward.mitchell: Good question. Your public policy trip should be interesting next month. The produce industry associations say they want regulations, marketing orders, etc. The question is whether Congress will put something in place that makes sense.

4:17 PM me: David, I appreciate your time on this, a deadline Thursday. What else have you got on your plate for the couple of months? Hopefully no more salmonella outbreak stories, I'll wager

4:18 PM david.edward.mitchell: I'll be on the road to Ohio soon for the Know Your Market section. Somebody else will have to do the inevitable outbreak follow-up. You perhaps?

4:19 PM me: If duty calls...Thanks again and we'll catch up again soon...

david.edward.mitchell: No problem. Thanks, Tom

Waiting for the FDA to pull the trigger

Earlier today, I received an email addressed to Packer reporter David Mitchell and copied to me from a tomato broker who expressed growing frustration with the inability of the FDA to completely clear Florida growing areas in their traceback investigation. I have asked for permission to post the letter on the blog and I will if I receive permission.

The basic frustration expressed by the broker is that Florida tomato growers are "twisting in the wind" when the preponderance of apparent evidence - as expressed by New Mexico health authorities, at least - seems to point to Mexico as the source of the salmonella tainted tomatoes. Yet some complications - perhaps co-mingling at a repacker - are thought to prevent the FDA from clearing Florida growing regions, he said.

With fast food chains beginning to act on the FDA now-nationwide consumer alerts, the pressure is on the agency to quickly identify not only the growing region but also the responsible farm and packing facility that shipped the tomatoes.

FDA's interest in cooperative relationships with growers is being sorely put to the test.