June 8, 2008, The High Cost of Non-Traceability

June 11, 2008

The High Cost of Non-Traceability

News of a few cases of salmonella in New Mexico and Texas hardly caused a ripple in the beginning. From April 23rd through June 1st there were 57 reported cases of Salmonella Saintpaul in those states - and on June 3rd the FDA decided the situation was grave enough to issue an alert.

Florida Tomato Industry in "complete collapse"
Just one week later, on June 10th, the Florida tomato industry has been brought to its knees in what has been described in the media as "a complete collapse". The FDA stated in its release on June 3rd that "the source of the contaminated tomatoes may be limited to a single grower or packer or tomatoes from a specific geographic area". However, as of June 10th, the only progress that had been made was to establish the areas where the problem was NOT present. Florida , the largest tomato producing state in the nation, has not been cleared, and according to Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange "We probably have $40 million worth of product we can't sell. We've had to stop packing, stop picking. It fundamentally shut down the industry."
Tomato Recall Affects Retailers and Restaurants
The magnitude of the tomato recall has been staggering. Businesses affected include McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Burger King, Kroger, Outback Steakhouse, Winn- Dixie, Taco Bell, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Kroger, etc. Without knowing the exact source of the outbreak it is too great a risk to the public to keep offering the affected types of tomatoes to consumers. The recall has now spread to Canada and the Caribbean , and until the source of contamination has been found all tomatoes except for cherry, grape and on-the-vine varieties will be off limits.

Tracing Commodities to the Source
Now, more than ever, it is imperative for every importer, roaster, distributor and retailer to know and be able to trace the origin of the products they source. The CCC system will serve as a model for other commodities and offers a viable solution to legislators looking for improved food safety initiatives.

Cashew Concern Certification, Inc.