TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Produce Industry Looks To Improve Labeling

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

Published: October 17, 2008

WASHINGTON - Prompted by this summer's salmonella outbreak, the government has begun investigating how to quickly identify the source of contaminated food and stop it from getting to consumers.

At the first public hearing on the issue Thursday, representatives from the produce industry cited progress toward labeling on every case of fruit and vegetables that would make it easier to trace tainted food from the dinner table back to the farm.
Consumer advocates want more: marking individual tomatoes, heads of lettuce and other produce from an industry subject to 900 safety recalls over the past two years.

"We need better information going to the consumer so he can identify fruits and vegetables when it's in his refrigerator and in his cabinet shelves," said David Plunkett, senior staff attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 1,440 people exposed flaws in the nation's food safety system. Government investigators found strong evidence to implicate jalapeno and serrano peppers, and a farm in Mexico, in the largest outbreak of foodborne illness in a decade. An earlier warning advised people against eating various kinds of tomatoes.

The Food and Drug Administration has asked companies and consumers about ways to improve tracing produce.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT