Tom Harkin: Second Large-Scale Spinach Recall Proves National Framework Needed

Senate Legislation in Works to Reduce Foodborne Illness Caused by Produce

Aug. 30, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the following statement on the recall of 8,118 cases of bagged spinach after they tested positive for Salmonella. The produce, distributed by Metz Fresh LLC of King City, California, has not been linked to any human cases of foodborne illness, yet comes almost one year after an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in fresh, bagged spinach.

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“With the memory of last summer’s massive E. coli outbreak in spinach still fresh in our minds, Americans are once again being hit by a large-scale recall of bagged spinach,” said Harkin. “This is a food safety concern for consumers who wonder if it is okay to serve this produce to their families and it is an agricultural concern for growers who face another blow to sales of their product.

“For American consumers and producers, it is long-overdue for the FDA to exercise more oversight of food safety practices both in the field and in the processing of produce. Legislation I am working on in the Senate aims to do just that.”

Harkin is preparing to reintroduce legislation he has previously proposed to set up a national program that would require food safety practices for growing and processing fresh produce at most risk of causing foodborne illness.

Source: Senator Tom Harkin