FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAK SIMULATION WORKSHOP

Introductions

Expectations Everyone will be working together in their respective groups Each group will have different issues to address and deal with Overall the goal is for the group to work together through a crisis situation

You will be working together and role playing Groups: Producers Commodity Associations and Organizations Other participants: Media Regulators

PRODUCERS

Producer group 1: Tarheel Acres Growers Conventional and organic farm in the Piedmont with a large packing facility Pack for neighboring farms and repack imports Large grocery store chain Peppers, leafy greens, strawberries, melons Greens packaged under several names Molly’s World, Pack It Out Produce, and Organic Medley

Producer group 2: Plott Hound Creek Farms Conventional production small-ish farmer in Newton Grove Mainly wholesale, Raleigh Farmers’ market Leafy greens, peppers, and melons Greens packaged under several names Molly’s World, Pack It Out Produce, and The Farmer’s Way

Producer group 3: Rising Sun Farms Conventional medium size farm in Goldsboro Direct market foodservice, wholesale and direct- to-store Leafy greens, peppers, strawberries, sweet corn Dairy farm adjacent to field Greens packaged under several names Polly’s Produce and Pack It Out Produce

COMMODITY ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS NC Vegetable Growers Association Leafy Greens Council United Fresh Produce Assocaition NC Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association

Media -- Our journalistic team News and Observer Charlotte Observer CNN Perez Hilton Late night television WRAL Twitter Yahoo News

AUGUST 15, 2011 – PRESS RELEASE NC Department of Health says “There are an increased number of illnesses which are linked together with a genetic fingerprint” Escherichia coli O157:H7 20 illnesses in NC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been dispatched

August 17, 2011 -- More information trickles out The fingerprint from NC and VA are an identical match linking the outbreaks VA Department of Health says “thinks it is associated with prepackaged leafy greens mix bags” Isolated strain from opened bad Sporadic cases in TN and SC National conference call

AUGUST 19, 2011 E. COLI O157:H7 -- VA HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONFIRMS IT’S BAGGED SALAD FROM PACK IT OUT PRODUCE Isolated strain from unopened bag What do you do? Who do you call? What kind of things do you do to assess your system? What do you release to the media?

August 20, 2011 -- Press conference Announced that it is leafy greens-linked Mike Taylor, FDA food safety czar "It is always an upset to the industry when we have to put consumer advice out like this, but . . . we don't know which leafy greens are causing the illnesses; and we don't want to wait until we find out and then learn that people were getting sick.”

What else happens? Media attention Increased testing of leafy greens Blogs, Twitter, Youtube Increased testing of leafy greens Buyer questions??? Local demand? Leafy greens sales decrease

Damage Control Plott Hound Creek Farms Tarheel Acres Growers Increase in traffic on farm Consumers talking about how the outbreak scares them from purchasing at large stores Tarheel Acres Growers Contact neighboring farms to confirm they are using good agricultural practices Increase in demand for leafy greens at Farmer’s market Lots of discussion from customers

Industry investigations -- Looking for the source Discuss your distribution chain How do you prove it is not your farm? Documentation? Where has your product gone? Traceability?

August 23, 2011 -- Outbreak has been traced to Rising Sun Farms

CLASS I RECALL Class I is a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death 19 19

August 23, 2011 -- Recall How do you get the product back? Where did it go? What documentation do you need? Other groups roles in this?

NCDA and FDA, conducting the investigation, asks for: Flow charts Lab reports HACCP/SSOP records Production records Distribution records

ON-FARM INVESTIGATION Where they might start looking on-farm and in the facility Water Worker health and hygiene Wildlife Well water

AUGUST 25, 2011 -- MORE INFO ABOUT THE IMPLICATED SITE ARISES… Dairy farm uphill from produce fields Implicated product went to other dealers Wildlife tracks

Observations Cattle pastures enclosed by fences Have free access to waterways at various points upstream Grazing area located at higher elevations with production fields located below in the valley Seasonal and year-round creeks flow through the cattle pastures

Wildlife investigation Evidence of wild pigs around irrigation wells Physical presence of wild pigs in and around leafy greens fields Wildlife tracks (primarily pig, but also some deer, raccoon, coyote, rodent, rabbit, and bird) and evidence of penetration of fences was observed Reported damage to crops caused by pigs during thinning and harvesting of crops Wild pig fecal material and rooting observed in adjacent fields

FALL 2011 -- Recovery Outbreak is over What’s next? Who is affected? What needs to be done to get things back on track?

SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? Be prepared for outbreaks Have a plan to manage them Be available Monitor what people are saying about industry/products Use non-print methods Take control of the story

PFGE

Outbreak curve