I had not heard about this until I read Rep Sam Farr’s letter regarding spinach. Freshcut reports that Mexico recently banned import of US lettuce due to health (security) concerns:

The Mexican government claims the ban is a preventative measure, but gave no timetable for when the ban would be lifted other than to say until U.S. lettuce does not “represent some risk for the health of Mexicans.�

The Monterey County Herald suggests the reaction by Mexico seems to have touched a few nerves:

California lettuce recalled as a precaution Sunday over E. coli fears tested negative for a sometimes deadly strain of the bacteria, company officials said Tuesday.

Yet even as The Nunes Company Inc. gave the all-clear on those 8,355 cartons of lettuce, local politicians and growers reacted in disbelief as Mexico banned the import of all U.S. lettuce as a result of the incident.

[…]

“Mexico telling us that they are not going to eat our lettuce because of possible water contamination would be like the United States banning tourism in Mexico,” said Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, referring to diarrhea travelers sometimes experience in Mexico as a result of the country’s water. “What are they thinking?”

Not exactly how I would compare the risks, but I have to admit it is a colorful analogy. Seems like the supply-chain security card is going to be played more and more by nations wanting to find a convenient way to gain leverage even on their partners/allies. The sad thing is how little reliable information is available on the danger as well as the safety of produce on shelves. Should consumers trust their grocer, should the grocer trust the delivery company, should the delivery company trust the grower…

On Monday night, [John Baillie, president of Baillie Family Farms/Tri-Counties Packing, which grows and sells lettuce and celery] said, he watched an expert on a New York City newscast tell consumers to only buy vegetables that can be cooked.

“The last time I cooked iceberg lettuce, it looked like crap,” Baillie said, sarcastically.

Found this letter from Sam Farr interesting…and not just because he misspelled spinach:

MOVING BEYOND THE SPINIACH CRISIS

Rep. Sam Farr

November, 2006

John Steinbeck called the Salinas Valley the “salad bowl of the world.” How true a description – one that can equally apply to every farming region of the Central Coast . This congressional district annually produces more than $3.9 billion in agricultural goods. Monterey County alone produces more than 85 specialty vegetable crops with a value of over $3 billion. Our farmers have worked hard to bring a good, safe product to America ‘s tables. It is in their best business interest to be certain that the food they sell is not tainted at any point during the process – from the time the seed is planted to the moment it arrives on your dinner table. So it was with great fear and disappointment to learn in mid-September of an outbreak of E. coli attributable to fresh spinach grown in and around the Salinas Valley .

This crisis burst into the public spotlight with U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) September 14th advisory that Americans avoid all fresh spinach. In late August, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began to receive reports of E. coli illnesses in several states. By September 13th, the CDC had received enough reports to link the outbreak to spinach and referred the case to the FDA. Following its advisory, FDA initiated an investigation to trace back the spinach linked to the people stricken with E. coli to the San Juan Bautista plant that packaged it and ultimately to the field in which it was harvested. As I write this, the FDA has yet to release its final investigation report. However, the FDA has released some information in advance – it has genetically linked the strain of E. coli 0157:H7 found in the sick people to nine samples taken from cattle, and in one instance a wild pig, found on one particular unnamed ranch. The release of the report in the coming weeks will give us more details of the actual incident and its known causes.

Of course, our first concern is for the victims. Three people died and approximately two hundred people were known to have been taken ill in twenty-six different states. As the industry, federal regulators, various state institutions, and Congress move forward to repair the damage and prevent another incident, we must not forget the three lives cut short. Each left friends and loved ones behind who will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And we cannot forget those who were taken ill, many of whom will have lifelong health impacts from their E. coli infections.

At the onset of the crisis in mid September, I acted quickly to understand from FDA and produce industry leaders the nature of the outbreak and push FDA to communicate the safety of consuming spinach and other leafy greens as soon as possible. As the crisis unfolded I worked to have Mexico ‘s unwarranted ban on U.S. lettuce imports lifted. Just two weeks ago, I convened a research strategy conference with California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura and over 50 key industry, government, and academic leaders.

There is clearly much to be done by all of the major actors in this issue. The produce industry itself, the food safety agencies, and the scientific research community all have parts to play. Congress too has a role to play. In the coming months I will lead the charge in Congress for action on a multi pronged agenda that can help the produce industry move beyond the crisis into a healthier and more prosperous future.

Research: If one thing is certain, it is that we don’t know nearly enough about E. coli and leafy green food safety. Do we know enough now to take rational steps to prevent problems in the future? The participants in the conference that I mentioned above all agreed that research needed to advance on two broad fronts: long term basic research, and short term applied research to give producers, processors, and regulators practical help in making use of the current state of E. coli knowledge, however incomplete. Given the national scope of the crisis, the FDA’s and CDC’s role in managing it, and its preeminent role in funding ag science and food safety research, the federal government has a responsibility to help fund these research goals. I have already begun working with my colleagues on the Agriculture Appropriates Subcommittee which has budget authority over both the USDA and FDA.

Market Restoration: The crisis has shaken consumer confidence in fresh produce. A week after FDA lifted its advisory against eating spinach, my staff could not find it in Salinas area grocery stores. More recently, while dining with Secretary Kawamura at a Monterey area restaurant, the wait staff told us that they were not serving spinach – no consumer demand. While the industry has the primary responsibility for marketing its products, I believe the federal and state governments should weigh in to help. From the public involvement of the Governor to an advertising campaign similar to California ‘s “Buy California” effort are all on the table. I am now aggressively exploring federal funding options to help such an effort.

Compensation: many millions of dollars have been lost by spinach growers and their employees who had no connection with the crisis other than to grow a product that the FDA told the public not to eat. While the federal government cannot restore every dollar lost, I do believe that it has a responsibility to defray some of the economic losses.

FDA Oversight: Once all the facts are in, I believe it is critical for Congress to ask the right questions about the FDA’s management of this crisis. Did it have sufficient resources on the ground to spot and understand the problem? Did the FDA act appropriately in communicating with the public and industry throughout the crisis? It is important that the whole food safety system learn from this experience so that our food supply is safer and its producers more prosperous.

Much attention has been paid in the last several years to the challenge that the obesity epidemic poses to America ‘s health – both physical and fiscal. In responding to the spinach crisis, we must keep in mind that replacing the French fries and chocolate bars in our diet with fresh fruits and vegetables is a big challenge. It would be a tragedy if in the interests of food safety, we retreat from the gains made in fresh produce consumption and give way to the forces of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

Sincerely,

SAM FARR

Member of Congress

I could not find it anywhere online, but it’s a letter to be public, so I thought I’d post it for reference.