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Chipotle Plans To DNA Test Produce After E-Coli Outbreaks In Nine States
HughPickens.com writes: Lisa Jenning reports at Restaurant News that Chipotle plans to do DNA-based tests of all fresh produce before it is shipped to restaurants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle now includes seven more people in three new states, including Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania, for a total count of 52 sickened in nine states. Most of the illnesses were in Washington, with 27 cases, and Oregon, with 13 cases. Twenty people have been hospitalized but there have been no reported deaths. Health officials say a meal or ingredient from Chipotle was likely the cause, but they have not yet identified the specific source of the outbreak. Chipotle's founder and co-chief executive, Steve Ells apologized to patrons who fell ill after eating at the company's restaurants. "This was a very unfortunate incident and I'm deeply sorry that this happened, but the procedures we're putting in place today are so above industry norms that we are going to be the safest place to eat." The chain will begin end-of-shelf-life testing to ensure quality specifications are met throughout the shelf life of products. The data collected will be used to measure the performance of vendors and suppliers to enhance food safety throughout the system.
But food safety experts are mixed about the effectiveness of such screening efforts for the prevention of foodborne illness. Bob Whitaker, chief science and technology officer for the Produce Marketing Association, says such tests are not practical as a screening tool. Instead, restaurant chains should focus on whether their suppliers have adequate food-safety programs in place. "You can't test your way to safety," says Whitaker. "The problem with product testing by itself is that it's hard to take enough samples to be confident that the product is free of any pathogens." DNA tests are considered among the most accurate and fast, with same-day testing available for organisms like E. coli or salmonella, says Morgan Wallace. Some manufacturers don't wait for results, since produce is perishable, but that introduces the risk of a produce recall if a pathogen has been identified after shipment. Others hold the product until test results are confirmed, but that practice adds holding costs and reduces the shelf life.
But food safety experts are mixed about the effectiveness of such screening efforts for the prevention of foodborne illness. Bob Whitaker, chief science and technology officer for the Produce Marketing Association, says such tests are not practical as a screening tool. Instead, restaurant chains should focus on whether their suppliers have adequate food-safety programs in place. "You can't test your way to safety," says Whitaker. "The problem with product testing by itself is that it's hard to take enough samples to be confident that the product is free of any pathogens." DNA tests are considered among the most accurate and fast, with same-day testing available for organisms like E. coli or salmonella, says Morgan Wallace. Some manufacturers don't wait for results, since produce is perishable, but that introduces the risk of a produce recall if a pathogen has been identified after shipment. Others hold the product until test results are confirmed, but that practice adds holding costs and reduces the shelf life.
The feds could start fining farmers for hiring illegals. If no one is willing to work for those wages then produce prices are artificially low and need adjusted.
The recent outbreak of E-Coli cases w/ Chipotle customers highlights one interesting contrast b/w how the normal policy deals w/ businesses that may inadvertantly end up making people sick, vs people who deliberately try to kill people.
Chipotle is a company that does not try to deliberately make people sick - that would be bad for business, and a surefire way of going out of it. However, a small portion of the produce that they get was affected by E-Coli, ending up w/ 50+ people getting sick. In previous cases of E-coli, results would be varied down the supply chain: the farm from which the produce came would quarantine certain produce, the supermarkets that obtained the produce from the farms would sometimes just exclude the farms in question altogether, while the franchises that obtained produce from the affected supermarkets would quarantine the supermarket itself until things got better. All this despite the known fact that only a small percentage of all the produce was affected: it was not a risk anybody agreed was reasonable.
Contrast this w/ the policy on Muslims. There have been several terror attacks both worldwide and in the US - not just since 9/11, but recently as well. In these cases, the result hasn't been just injuries, which is what it has usually been w/ all the E-Coli or the Bird-flu or Mad-cow cases, but death as well. However, whenever there are any proposals to put a moratorium on Muslims entering the country, those are usually greeted w/ howls of protests. Never mind the fact that the Muslims who do come w/ the intentions of waging Jihad bring death w/ them, as opposed to an E-Coli infested vegetable that may at worst send you to the restroom 11 times a day.
So why are the race merchants, or more precisely, the Islamophobia industy, given such a leeway by both public and DHS when farmers and businesses, who have no malicious intentions towards the public, are subjected to such rigorous scrutiny by the FDA?
It's trendy food, but it's toxic to anyone handling it.
Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.