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Packaged Salad Companies Bite Back at News Reports
Laura Castaneda, Chronicle Staff Writer San Francisco
The $1 billion packaged-salad industry is trying to keep its business from wilting.
Three competing California food companies joined forces yesterday to blast more than 40 television news reports that have appeared over the past 18 months claiming that bacteria in packaged salads is a health risk to consumers. ''We have no evidence that there's any public health risk associated with eating fresh cut packaged vegetables,'' said Mike Doyle, head of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement.
Doyle spoke at a news conference in San Francisco organized by three leading packaged salad manufacturers -- Fresh Express Farms and Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc., both of Salinas, and Irwindale, Calif.- based Ready Pac.
Packaged salads first began appearing in supermarkets in 1990, but sales didn't really take off until 1992. Sales grew about 20 percent last year and are expected to rise 15 percent to 20 percent and top $1 billion this year, the companies said.
The news reports appeared on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox affiliates nationwide,the companies said. Typically, the reports warned viewers about the possible health threats of large amounts of ''coliform'' bacteria found in packaged salads.
Many stations hired doctors or laboratories to test the produce.
The companies said the news stories didn't point out that there are two types of coliform.
Harmless coliform is commonly found in dirt and produce. This bacteria serves some good purposes, such as spoiling the look of food so that people know not to eat it, Doyle said.
The potentially deadly fecal coliforms -- including E.coli -- is found in human or animal intestinal tracts, said Doyle.
Doyle said that the coliform found in the packaged salads is the harmless type.
Fox TV affiliate KTXL (Channel 40) in Sacramento, which ran a report on packaged salads on September 19 that was produced by a New York Fox station, stood by its story yesterday.
''I think the piece is fair and balanced,'' said News Director Michael Burke. ''It clearly specifies that bacteria is common in soil, and that most of it is harmless.''
Burke said the story found vastly different levels of coliform bacteria in four different packaged salads. One brand had four times more coliform of another brand, he said.
Burke added that he's never heard of a harmless version of coliform.
The salad companies said packaged lettuce is washed with chlorinated water, which reduces, but doesn't totally kill, harmless bacteria.
E.coli from manure is rarely found on lettuce, because growers either use chemical fertilizers or harvest the lettuce long after manure has been used in the fields, said Dennis Gertmenian, chairman and chief executive of Ready Pac.
Doyle said no harmful bacteria, including E.coli, have been found in any of the packaged salads tested by TV stations, and there have been no confirmed incidents of food-borne illnesses associated with the product.
The salad companies said the TV reports haven't caused a drop in sales. ''Less than 1 percent of the calls we've received in the past 18 months have been about (safety),'' said Kelley Maier, Dole's vice president of marketing.
But the industry wanted to launch a publicity blitz because the product is still relatively new. ''We didn't want to leave any lingering concerns in anyone's mind,'' said Ken Wheeler, director of brand management for Fresh Express.
Should consumers take extra precautions and wash packaged salads at home before eating them? ''It doesn't hurt to wash them but it isn't necessary,'' said Doyle.
Awareness also grows day by day.
Regards,
Sri. |
