BCT Editorial – 9/21/06

This page was last updated on September 21, 2006.

Fail-safe food; Editorial; Beaver County Times; September 21, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Green onions at Chi-Chi’s in Center Township.

“Tomatoes at Sheetz stores around the region.

“Spinach at grocery stores across the nation.

“People aren’t the only thing on the move in our mobile society. Contaminated foods can, too, which means they can strike anywhere.

“Federal and state officials are still trying to get a grip on the exact source of an E. coli outbreak that’s sickened spinach eaters in 21 states, including Pennsylvania.

“They know the tainted spinach came from California, but The Associated Press reported that finding the source of the outbreak is going to be tough because there are so many potential sources of contamination, including the water and fertilizer that farmers in California’s Salinas Valley use to grow much of the nation’s spinach crop.

“If outbreaks such as this one seem to be happening more frequently, it might be because this is the 20th food-poisoning episode linked to spinach or lettuce since 1995.

“Toss in high-profile outbreaks like the ones at Chi-Chi’s and Sheetz, and it’s no wonder that people are starting to wonder about how safe the food chain really is.

“The food industry and federal and state governments need to become more proactive. People have a right to know that the food they are eating is not only nutritious but that it is safe, as well.”

[RWC] Let me get this straight. 20 food poisoning episodes “linked to spinach or lettuce” in a nation of 300,000,000 people over 12 years indicates “the food industry and federal and state governments need to become more proactive?”

Don’t get me wrong. Officials need to do their best to determine the source of the contamination and work to avoid future outbreaks.

My point is, while we can probably do better, 20 outbreaks over 12 years in a country this size seems pretty good to me.