No Increase in Inspections Of Leafy Greens: Report

MATTHEW ENIS

WASHINGTON — Federal officials inspect companies that grow and process salad greens an average of just once every 3.9 years, despite the fact that produce caused almost twice as many multi-state foodborne illness outbreaks than meat between 1990 and 2004, according to an investigative report by the Associated Press.

In addition, the report found that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has inspected only 29 of California's leafy green vegetable farms since September 2006, when fresh spinach contaminated with E. coli killed three people and sickened almost 200.

Although several bills mandating new industry regulations and oversight have been sponsored in California's state senate during the past year, none have passed, and the produce industry has argued that voluntary measures required by the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement are sufficient to ensure product safety going forward. For more information on the produce industry's voluntary efforts, including comments regarding the recent Metz Fresh spinach recall, see SN's interview with Produce Marketing Association president Bryan Silbermann on Page 32.