An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that the contaminated cantaloupe harvest contained four separate Listeria monocytogenes strains, which the governmental agency found to be "unusual", but was still trying to determine the reason.[19] On October 20, it was reported that the FDA officials had found listeria on dirty, corroded equipment used by Jensen Farms, which had been bought used and was previously utilized for potato farming. It was stated by the government that the "equipment's past use may have played a role in the contamination".[20] Water contaminated with listeria was also found on the floor of the packing plant and it was determined that the workers moving around the plant had spread it, as the contaminated water was also found on the cantaloupe conveyor belt. It was noted by officials that Jensen Farms had "passed a food safety audit by an outside contractor" six days before the outbreak.[21]
The method of how the listeria bacteria first came to be in the plant remains unknown, as the soil on the farm was determined to be clear of the bacteria. It is suspected, however, that a "dump truck used to take culled melons to a cattle farm...could have brought bacteria to the facility".[21][22] Furthermore, Bacteria growth may have been caused by condensation stemming from the lack of a pre-cooling step to remove field heat from the cantaloupe before cold storage.[23][24]"
"Jensen Farms response
In response to the initial reports by the CDC on the contaminated cantaloupe, Jensen Farms issued a voluntary recall on September 15 of the entire harvest crop of 300,000 cantaloupe that it had distributed to its chain stores. The FDA made the public announcement for the recall after Listeria infection was confirmed by Jensen Farms at its main Colorado branch.[26] Jensen Farms was also forced to temporarily shut down its processing plant while the recall is ongoing.[27] Government officials have been investigating the company's main facility in Colorado to determine if there was "animal or water contamination", but there have been no results from the investigation thus far.[19] Holly, Colorado residents were described as being left "reeling and in fear" because of the disaster for its local producer.[2"
Okay, so the FDA still doesn't know exactly how or when the bacteria got there. More to the point, the FDA did not catch it ahead of time, all they did is a follow up investigation. Now this farm is out millions, if they even survive this event, despite the fact they appear to have made good faith efforts to recall the product. How many of us buy a piece of used equipment and sterilize it before use? How many of us visit auction barns, other farm fields, other farms without disinfection our foot wear coming and going? How many of us hit manure left int he road by spreaders 2, 5, 25 miles from home and carry it back to our farms?
Having an FDA is fine, assuming they do their job. Having the FDA on your farm every day checking up on you, testing every single animal or other product you send off the farm? That's about what it would take. Animal RFID, RFID in your crop too? Where does it end? I'd rather have the States or Counties doing the job were it up to me, assuming they could get the funding FDA uses. Local control is more effective, faster and usually far cheaper than Federal control.
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