Consumer groups seek tougher produce monitoring
WASHINGTON - Fruit and vegetable producers should be required to use technology that would allow regulators to trace the origin of contaminated produce, consumer groups said yesterday.
Failure to identify the source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 922 Americans since mid-April shows why emergency regulations are needed, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Consumer Federation of America said.
The Food and Drug Administration has been criticized for failing to strengthen rules and expand inspections after hundreds of illnesses were linked to tainted spinach, beef, peanut butter, and pet food last year. Representatives John Dingell and Bart Stupak, Michigan Democrats, plan to hold a hearing this month to examine why the FDA can't trace the source of the current outbreak.
"Fresh fruits and vegetables are at the center of a healthy diet, so it is critical that immediate steps be taken to improve their safety," the consumer groups said.
The FDA has warned consumers for weeks to avoid certain types of tomatoes from states that may be linked to the salmonella outbreak. Officials said Tuesday that they expanded the probe to include other produce that may have come into contact with the tomatoes and tainted them.
Growers should be required to mark fruits and vegetables with bar codes on stickers so they can be traced back to the farm of origin, the consumer groups said. Similar programs are now used voluntarily by some restaurants and retailers, and a standard code on all FDA-regulated items would improve record-keeping and speed investigations, they said.
