Este otoño del 2006 la industria agrícola respondió a un brote de la bacteria E. coli detectado en la espinaca fresca procedente de California.

Durante las investigaciones, los medios de comunicación – emisoras de televisión, periódicos y la comunicación electrónica – continúan deliberando la situación y las repercusiones en los consumidores y los patrones de restaurantes.

Mientras que ya se anunció que la agencia FDA había enangostado su investigación a un procesador, la industria respondió de una manera unificada subrayando su comisión, prometiendo hacer todo lo posi-ble para mantener un suministro de alimentos seguro.

Fall 2006 ushered a call for the industry to respond to an outbreak, investigate and self-assess, this time involving fresh spinach. News broadcasts, electronic communication, web blogs and talk among industry players, produce shoppers and restaurant patrons resonate concerns about food safety and implications to the trade and consumers.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition announced that the agency had narrowed its investigation of the E.coli outbreak to one processor, the industry, as a whole, stepped up to the plate.

In a joint statement, the Grower Shipper Association of Central California, Produce Marketing Association, United Fresh Produce Association and Western Growers Association, recognized the FDA’s investigative efforts and underscored its commitment to a safe food supply, pledging to do more.

“The produce industry has always put the safety of our food and our customer’s health first…And while we continually invest millions of dollars annually to analyze and enhance existing systems, we pledge to do more. With that in mind, the industry associations have joined together to work cooperatively with FDA and state regulatory agencies to learn everything we can from this outbreak and work as one industry to enhance food safety safeguards to protect the public health. We are already working together on a comprehensive plan to strengthen our existing food safety systems in a renewed effort to prevent future outbreaks.” (PMA, 2006)

In an imperfect world, where promises are broken, advancement is stifled, businesses fall, communications fail, and partnerships are challenged, the food and agriculture industry has proven time and again the possibility, potential and value of lessons learned, commitment, collaboration and hope.

Alexandra Salas

Latin America Edition

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