Plea For CDC To Release Sickness
Details And Origin Of Purchase
There are two important pieces of information that the CDC needs to release so we can help it make sense of this outbreak. The first is demographic information, particularly, the ethnic makeup of the sick people. The second is the percentage of people who believe they became sick after eating at a restaurant as opposed […]
Consumer Press Catching On
It is said that every cloud has a silver lining, and if it can be said that there is an advantage to the length of time this Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak is continuing, it is that the consumer press is starting to become significantly better. The questions they pose to the FDA and CDC officials are […]
FDA’s Erroneous Statements Clarified By California And Florida Tomato Leaders
As Dr. Acheson has been learning about the produce industry, we wanted to investigate the relevance of some of the points he has been discussing. We asked Pundit Investigator and Special Projects Editor Mira Slott to find out more. She turned to Ed Beckman, President of the California Tomato Farmers and Reggie Brown, Manager of […]
Four Talking Points
For Dr. Acheson To Consider
Dr. David Acheson, FDA’s Associate Commissioner for Foods, devoted a part of the Tuesday evening press conference to looking to the future and ways to do things better. It was truly thin gruel, and in many ways highly insulting to the produce trade. First, he suggested the possibility of an “interagency task force,” which pretty […]
FDA/CDC Violate
Their Own Speculation Policy
FDA and CDC have made a point that they don’t release their speculations. So, for example, neither organization will name any other item, beyond tomatoes, that they are considering as the source for the Salmonella that has spread in this outbreak. This is a reasonable enough policy, if it is followed consistently. Last Friday, however, […]
Getting Our Money Back:
Waive Sovereign Immunity
Dr. Robert Tauxe, M.D., M.P.H., was representing CDC on the most recent conference call. He is both smart and knowledgeable; he has contributed additional information to articles we have run on the Pundit, as you can see here. During the CDC’s most recent conference call, he was at pains to point out the complexity of […]
‘Produce’ Or ‘Food Items’
Although CDC’s Dr. Griffin last Friday said, “This is a produce outbreak,” to distinguish it from a tomato outbreak, CDC’s Dr. Robert Tauxe used a different word in an interview with USA Today. He said “we’re broadening the investigation to be sure it encompasses food items that are commonly consumed with tomatoes.” Obviously there is […]
Trace Back The Control Group
One hope for solving this problem and clarifying the cause of this outbreak came out in the FDA/CDC’s recent conference call. It was good news to learn that CDC was basically starting anew and doing new survey work with people who became ill after June 1, 2008. This survey work would involve additional questions and […]
Bob Backovich,
Industry Giant,
Passes Away
Just as we were going to press, we received sad news: I don’t know whether you’ve heard the news that Bob Backovich passed away last night of a rare kidney ailment. He was truly one of the old lions of the industry. He precisely fit his nickname of “The Boomer”. — Grant Hunt Grant J. […]
CDC Blames Fresh: Ignores Horticultural Probabilities
The CDC, FDA and state health departments are not making many public announcements but they are leaking information like sieves. The public announcement by CDC is that the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak continues to sicken people. To date, there are 943 illnesses in 40 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. The latest onset of illness […]
