FDA ‘Spokesperson’ Justifies
Reasoning Behind Pistachio Recall
We wanted to get an update and clarification from the FDA itself on the state of the Setton Pistachio recall, so we asked Pundit Investigator and Special Projects Editor Mira Slott to find out more. We run her conversation below, but the FDA now has a policy that all its people should be anonymous and […]
News Flash: Every Plant Handling Raw Pistachios Has Salmonella! (But Roasting Kills The Pathogen)
Sometimes short-and-sweet can be very revealing. We asked Pundit Investigator and Special Projects Editor Mira Slott to find out what role the State of California is playing in regard to the investigation of Setton Pistachio: Ralph MontanoSpokesperson California Department of Public Health Q: When I called the California Department of Agriculture, a spokesperson said FDA […]
Does FDA Put Its Reputation
Above Enhanced Food Safety?
Why has the FDA chosen to act in the manner it has regarding the pistachio industry? Gardiner Harris and Andrew Martin of The New York Times explain the matter this way: “The food industry needs to be on notice that F.D.A. is going to be much more proactive and move things far faster,” said Dr. […]
FDA Leaks New Info About Test Results
The Associated Press is reporting that federal officials confirmed they have test results confirming the existence of salmonella in “critical places” in Setton Pistachio’s California plant: Federal officials confirmed Monday they found traces of salmonella in a central California pistachio processing plant that sparked a nationwide recall of the nut. The Food and Drug Administration […]
What Not To Do When
Handling Crisis Communications
One reason we follow food safety issues closely is because there are many issues that apply to everyone regardless of which products they sell. In food safety, one of those issues is communications. It is part of every crisis management plan yet very often exercised very poorly. In the current crisis over pistachios, both Setton […]
Much Ado About Two Cockroaches:
Setton’s New York Affiliate
Caught Up In The Inane
Setton Pistachio, the California pistachio packer and roaster, mentions on its Web site that it is affiliated with a Long Island, New York-based organization named Setton International. The precise affiliation is unclear, presumably separate corporations under common ownership. In any case, when Georgia Nut Company found salmonella on pistachios from Setton Pistachio that were dedicated […]
Pistachio Industry Sets Up
Website To Clear Companies
The pistachio industry has set up a Website at PistachioRecall.Org to keep the world informed of which brands are NOT implicated in the salmonella issue: The CAL-PURE co-op of California pistachio growers (“CAL-PURE”) and the Western Pistachio Association (“WPA”) have created this consumer website to list the brands reported as not containing any pistachio products […]
More Oddities Revealed
On Setton’s Website
The Setton Farms Website contains a complete tab on organic: Bringing Organic Back to Earth Setton Farms Certified Organic products are grown in accordance with strict standards and requirements set forth in the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which is verified by an independent state or private organization. Certification includes inspections of farm fields […]
The Failure Of The FDA
And The Nature Of Information
At the core of the behavior of the FDA on food safety is a misunderstanding of the kind of information that has value. Various kinds of information cross the desks of FDA officials every day: This person got sick, this test came back positive. Sometimes, this kind of information is tied to a company or […]
Setton’s Kosher Certifier
Sheds Light On Company’s Operations
Although it would not be correct to say that unethical people can’t get kosher certification, reputable certifiers will run if they get the feeling that management is looking to cut corners the instant the certifier leaves. We asked Pundit Investigator and Special Projects Editor Mira Slott to conduct the conversation: Rabbi Hanoka Organized Kashrus LaboratoriesOK […]
