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Pundit Rewind X
Jim Prevor's Perishable Pundit — October
10, 2006
The Pundit originally ran this piece on September 21, 2006. We
continuously update it in order to keep everyone organized with respect
to reference material on this subject, we have updated it with new items
and run it again today.
Spinach Crisis Summary
With so much having been written in so short a time, thought it would be
helpful to publish a sort of round-up of available material to help
people understand the whole situation regarding spinach and this E. coli
breakout:
The Perishable Pundit itself has dealt extensively with the subject in
several major pieces. On September 15, 2006, we published Spinach
Recall Reveals Serious Industry Problems, which addressed the
implications of this crisis for the fresh-cut industry. You can read the
piece
here.
On September 18, 2006, we published Organic Dodges a Bullet,
which deals with the implications of the outbreak for the future of
organic farming. You can find this piece
here. Also on September 18, 2006,
we ran a piece called Ramifications and Reflections on the Spinach
Recall, which provided our first 10-point analysis of the situation.
You can read it
here.
September 19, 2006, we asked Is FDA’s Concern Now an Obsession? —
a piece in which we assessed whether a national recommendation to not
eat spinach made any sense. You can review this
here.
On September 20, 2006, we noted 10 Peculiarities about the E. coli
Outbreak and reviewed why certain aspects of the situation are
unlike past food-safety challenges and other unanswered questions
regarding the outbreak. Read this one right
here. Also on September 20, 2006,
we did our third 10-point list, calling this one “Spinach Recall Begs
for Solutions”, where we reviewed how the trade can deal with this
issue for the future, including looking at the meat industry, the
prospect of universal testing and the use of
RFID and
GTIN. You can read all this
here.
On September 21, 2006, we asked Is FDA Causing Long-term Damage?
Here we posed the question of whether punishing the innocent and the
guilty alike doesn’t reduce incentives to invest in food safety. You can
read this piece right
here.
The September 25, 2006 edition of the Pundit includes our fourth
10-point list entitled Though Not ‘All-Clear’, Consumers Can Eat
Spinach Again, which reviewed many issues facing the industry as
spinach begins to reenter the market, including the FDA’s
announcement, PMA consumer research, the behavior of industry
association, battles over fresh-cuts and organics, the reintroduction of
Salinas Valley production, the FDA’s capabilities, and more. You can
read this piece
here. Also on September 25, 2006,
we reviewed The Role of Retailers And The Future Of Food Safety,
which pointed out that buyers have an important role in insuring food
safety. Catch this piece
here.
Additionally, on September 25, 2006, we ran the Pundit’s Pulse Of The
Industry in which a panel of retail pundits gave us insight into the
way the spinach issue played in store and with consumers. You can read
it
here.
The Pundit on September 26, 2006, included an articled entitled The
California Department of Health Services Owes People An Explanation
in which the question was raised whether certain parties received
preferential treatment in the current spinach/E. coli outbreak. Read it
right
here. Also on September 26, 2006,
we did a piece questioning the efficacy of our trace-back systems. The
piece was titled More Recalls Trickle In, and you can read it
here.
On September 27, 2006, the Pundit analyzed the bad publicity that the
Salinas Valley has received and asked Is Salinas Getting A Bum Rap On
Food Safety? The piece can be read right
here.
September 28, 2006, the Pundit included a piece entitled Call For
Stronger FDA that analyzed the demand of some in the food industry
for beefing up the FDA and its budget within the context of the
spinach/E. coli situation. You can read it
here.
On September 29, 2006 we did a piece called Lies, Damned Lies And
Statistics that explored the contradiction of modern life that has
led things to seem less safe, even as they are actually safer. Read the
piece
here.
October 2, 2006 we ran The FDA Needs to Reexamine Its Methodology,
inquiring why it was necessary to shut down a whole industry when, as
far as we know, it was only Dole brand bagged spinach that was
implicated? Read it
here. Also on October 2, 2006, in a piece called Needless
Recalls, we examined how even if many of the recalls were
unnecessary, the recalls revealed big flaws in the trade’s traceback
systems. You can find the piece
here. Another piece October 2, 2006, entitled Deconstructing FDA,
analyzed the FDA’s statement regarding the end of the spinach crisis.
The piece is right
here.
The Pundit also ran a piece entitled Action Plan to Regain Consumer
Confidence that both discussed the industry plan and proposed an
alternative plan. Read about it
here. Also on October 2, 2006, we did a piece called
Collateral Damage vs. Assumption of the
Risk, which analyzed some of the liability issues surrounding
the outbreak. You can find the piece
here. Additionally, on October 2, 2006, we published the second in
our series of Pundit’s Pulse Of The Industry. This one including
insight from Bob Edgell of Balls Foods and Ron McCormick of Wal-Mart,
regarding reaction at retail as spinach outside California became
available. Read it
here.
On October 4, 2006, the Pundit ran a piece entitled In Defense of
Salinas, in which, based on a discussion with a Salinas farmer, we
outlined five points you need to understand about the relationship
between the Salinas Valley and this outbreak. You can find it
here. Also on October 4, 2006, we published Notes On Natural
Selection: It Could Happen To You, which discussed the new food
safety plan revealed by Natural Selection Foods and discussed the
necessity of product testing. Read it
here.
October 5, 2006, we analyzed the implications of the FBI raid in Salinas
with Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…
You can read the piece
here. We also explained on October 5, 2006, the involvement of
Growers Express in the FBI raid in a piece entitled Bailando Juntos
(Dancing Together), which you can find right
here. What’s more, we discussed on October 5, 2006, why Canada is
still banning U.S. spinach and what that implies about relations between
the FDA and CFIA. The piece is called U.S. Spinach Still Banned in
Canada, and you can read it
here.
On October 6, 2006 the Pundit pointed out the importance of considering
the human costs of our actions in A Look At The Faces, which you
can read
here. Also on October 6, 2006, we analyzed how increased use of a
federal network was bound to mean the recording of more frequent food
safety outlets in a piece entitled PulseNet Ups Ante In Food Safety
Battle, which can be read right
here.
IMpLICATIONS OF THE CRISIS
In addition, the Pundit has done several smaller pieces that touched on
various aspects of this crisis. On September 18, 2006, we raised the
issue of whether food safety outbreaks such as this raise long-term
issues about the viability of cartoon character tie-ins in Who Has
Marketing Fortitude? You can read about it
here. Also on September 18, 2006, we wrote Fit To Be Tied,
which dealt with the way some companies have little sense of decency
when it comes to marketing their products in the midst of a crisis. You
can read this one right
here.
Additionally on September 18, 2006, our Pundit’s Mailbag focused
on letters received by United President/CEO Tom Stenzel and incoming
Chairman Emanuel Lazopoulos of Del Monte Fresh, which dealt with the
confluence of United’s Board Meeting and the spinach crisis as well as
issues of industry leadership. You can find this one
here.
On September 19, 2006, we noted that there might be a Greenhouse
Opportunity in all this. Read this
here. Also on September 19, 2006, we noted that, though
fruits and vegetables are healthy, fresh produce is not necessarily the
best choice for those with a compromised immune system. The piece is
called Marketing Nightmare and you can find it right
here.
On September 21, 2006, we did a piece called Wal-Mart Deli/Bakery Has
Crisis Of Its Own that draws a link between the difficulty of
preventing a Salmonella outbreak at one store with the difficulty of
preventing an E. coli outbreak on an industry-wide basis. You can read
this piece
here.
On September 25, 2006, the Pundit noted Another Oddity In Spinach
Crisis and raised the question whether some or all of the product
being marketed as conventional might not be organic. Read it right
here. Also on September 25, 2006, we ran a Pundit’s
Mailbag which dealt both with the utility of loyalty card programs
and with the nature of large, multi-line fresh-cut packing facilities.
You can read this one right
here. Also we did a short piece on what change was actually
necessary if consumers were to be reassured of the safety of spinach.
Read it
here.
On September 26, 2006, we discussed the issue of recalls and how
insurance plays into that. You can read this
here. Also had an unrelated piece on Wegmans that included a
video clip on how consumer media is dealing with the reintroduction of
spinach. You can catch it
here.
Additionally on September 26, 2006, we ran a Pundit’s Mailbag
exploring the causes of the outbreak. You can read this piece
here.
September 27, 2006, we focused on a piece in the Washington Post
that helps us in Putting Things In Perspective. How does the
Spinach/E. coli outbreak relate to the total numbers that get sick and
die each year from foodborne illness? You can read it right
here.
On September 28, 2006, we published a terrific Pundit’s Mailbag
exploring the frustration the buy side felt in dealing with the
spinach/E. coli situation. Read it
here.
October 2, 2006, we had some Questions For Western Growers that
asked how far the WGA was willing to go to make sure foreign growers
meet the same standards as Salinas area farmers. Read about it
here. We also asked How Committed Is The Produce Industry To
Broad/National Food Safety Program. You can read the piece
here.
In addition, on October 2, we ran
pundit’s Mailbag: Another Despicable Marketing Attempt that
pointed out how a seed company was taking advantage of the situation
and, possibly, leading to harm, by pushing its products. Read about it
here.
On October 4, 2006, we ran a piece entitled Primary And Secondary
Suppliers, which details how this food safety crisis has to impact
retail vendor selection. Catch it right
here. Also on October 4, 2006, we discussed how to help innocent
spinach farmers who were victimized by this crisis in Everyone Needs
to Do A Little Bit. The Pundit pledged to do its own bit. Read it
right
here.
October 5, 2006, we ran a piece focused on another outbreak of foodborne
illness -- in this case, botulism in carrot juice. The focus, however,
was on the necessity to change attitudes as the produce industry becomes
less a packing industry and more a processing industry. It is called
Botulism III, and you can read it
here.
On October 6, 2006 we pointed out The Botulism And E. coli Connection
where we explained that our focus on pathogens at the product source,
though important, is insufficient. Read it
here. Also on October 6, 2006 we ran Pundit’s Mailbag: What Are
The feds Up To? This answered a reader’s letter inquiring as to
whether the FBI being in Salinas implied industry members weren’t
cooperating. You can find this item
here.
Several additional pieces appear in the Perishable Pundit today, and
they will be incorporated into future iterations of this Spinach
Crisis Summary.
RESOURCES
In addition to our own work, there are many excellent sources of
information out there that do not require payment, membership or
registration. Three of the Pundit’s favorites:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has offered daily information on
the crisis right
here.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deal with the outbreak
here.
The Produce Marketing Association has
maintained an excellent industry resource on the subject right
here.
Please feel free to write or call if you are looking for specific
information not included here. Note that many of the articles and
websites have links to other resources.
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