Spinach scare, redux

Metz Fresh LLC of King City, Calif. issued a recall Wednesday on 8,118 cases of fresh spinach after a routine test found salmonella bacteria.

According to John Cumming, managing principal of Metz Fresh, as of Thursday afternoon, all of the product shipped east of the Rocky Mountains has been detained and accounted for.

“After the recent E. coli outbreak, we learned that we need to test product and that we need to track product,” said Cumming. “And that’s what we’re doing. We’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to do.”

Specific information on the recalled lot numbers can be found here, a government site that compiles all recall information for all agencies on all products.

According to Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union, until the public has been adequately assured that all of the affected spinach has been removed from stores, it is safe for consumers to buy spinach from other major brands such as Dole or Earthbound Farms. There is less clarity with loose spinach as well as spinach served in restaurants and salad bars. While Metz’s 10- and 16-ounce bags are clearly labeled, 4- and 5-pound bags were also affected—a size that would be presented to consumers as loose spinach.

“With loose spinach or restaurant spinach, you can ask who the supplier is,” urged Halloran. “If you buy spinach and have concerns, cook it. Salmonella, E. coli and any dangerous bacteria will be killed by cooking.”

Thorough washing is insufficient to kill all bacteria on leafy greens, said Halloran. “They have so many nooks and crannies in which bacteria can lodge. I’ve also been hearing about biofilms, a thin film on a plant’s surface that traps bacteria.”

While the current salmonella scare seems to have been handled briskly, with no reported sickness, Halloran still points to problems in the FDA’s handling of food safety.

“There’s a glaring need for across-the-board improvements to the FDA to enable its staff to do more routine inspections with the full authority to recall contaminated vegetables.  At this point, we’re relying on the leafy green industry to essentially police itself.”