Eating your veggies not always so good for you

September 11, 1996
Web posted at: 7:00 p.m. EDT

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Fresh fruits and vegetables are being fingered in a growing number of food poisoning outbreaks, and more safeguards are needed, federal officials said Wednesday. (18 sec. /224K AIFF or WAV sound)

The problem is that there is little consensus on what safeguards to recommend, and little federal money to do it.

"We have absolutely no idea how to decontaminate produce because people don't admit the produce is contaminated," said Dr. Frederick Angulo of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Angulo appealed to a meeting of the produce industry to help instruct consumers to wash their fresh fruits and vegetables.

Guatemalan raspberries were blamed in July for giving diarrhea to hundreds of people in the United States and Canada. Strawberries were originally suspected before being ruled out.

Health officials said the raspberries were apparently infected with the parasite cyclospora.

"It's very hard to look at the product and find out if it is contaminated," said Dr. Joseph Madden of the Food and Drug Administration. "Many times you will miss it, so prevention of contamination in the first place" should be the goal.

While the number of food poisoning incidents appears to be on the rise, more research is needed to determine how much of a threat exists, officials said.

Unlike meat, it is not a matter of simply telling people to cook it thoroughly. For many consumers, a large part of the appeal of produce is its snappy fresh crunch.

"A lot of people eat fresh produce raw, so we have to be especially sure to prevent the contamination with bacteria all the way from the farm through the distribution to the retail store," said Tom Stenzel, of the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association.

Farmers must make sure the water they use to irrigate crops is clean, and the produce should be refrigerated properly through delivery, officials said.

Grocery store employees need to wash their hands regularly to prevent the potential spread of infection, while consumers should rinse produce, refrigerate it and realize that cutting it can cause the bacteria to multiply, they said.

But sporadic reports of food poisoning shouldn't discourage people from eating fruits and vegetables, health experts said.

"This is an industry that has health written all over it," said Dr. Douglas Archer, of the University of Florida.

Correspondent Eugenia Halsey contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• FDA warning on imported Mascarpone cream cheese - Sept. 9, 1996
• Clinton updates process for inspecting meat, poultry - July 6, 1996

Related sites:

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• Money Daily - President Clinton shares his views on key pocketbook issues
• Center for Disease Control
• FDA

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