Cantaloupe III: Blame and Punishment

Cantaloupe III:  Finding Blame

As of October 18, 2011, the listeria outbreak in 26 states had been linked to 25 deaths and 123 people being infected.  Of course the number of infected is probably much higher because food-borne illnesses are unusually underreported because people think it might just be the flu.  The fallout from the investigation is starting to become clearer.  As anticipated in an earlier blog, the cantaloupe industry is feeling the effects of the outbreak not just Jense Farms the source of the outbreak.  Consumers have begun to fear cantaloupe and are avoiding eating it.  Growers in the Rocky Ford area of Colorado have seen the clearest sense of guilt by association.  Jensen Farms used the name Rocky Ford for its cantaloupes even though the farm is 90 miles from the area.  People here Rocky Ford and think dangerous melons.  And the crisis could linger, as one news story reported:  “Eric Hanagan, a farmer in the Rocky Ford region, fears cantaloupe sales will drop next year and plans to plant about 50 percent less, replacing it with a lower-income crop like corn. Still, he said he wasn’t angry at Jensen Farms.”  

Farmers in California and Arizona are feeling the effects of dropping sales as stores pull cantaloupe regardless of its origin.  Stores simply believe customers are too afraid to buy the fruit.  Here is one description of the situation facing California growers:

“On an October day in the midst of harvest season, two farmworkers sat idly in their home in a Central California town that touts itself as ‘the cantaloupe center of the world.’

Instead of picking the melons and supervising a work crew, Dora and David Elias of Mendota were unemployed—laid off along with hundreds of others as the cantaloupe listeria outbreak traced to Colorado rippled across the nation.

The pangs were particularly felt here in the top cantaloupe-producing state. Sales of California cantaloupes plummeted, even though their fruit was perfectly safe to eat. Farmers abandoned fields. Farmworkers lost jobs.

‘We can’t sell the fruit,’ said Rodney Van Bebber, sales manager for Mendota-based Pappas Produce Company. ‘Retail stores are taking cantaloupes off the shelves, and growers are disking in their fruit because people are afraid to eat them.’”

The news has not improved for Jensen Farms either.  The initial report from the Food and Drug Administration points to sanitation issues at the farm.  When people here there was lack sanitation, they will begin to place greater blame for the crisis on the people operating Jensen Farms even though there are not specific violations of regulations.  Here is the FDA preliminary statement that appeared online and in news stories:

FDA Publishes Report on Factors Potentially Contributing to the Contamination of Fresh, Whole Cantaloupe Implicated in the Multi-State Listeria monocytogenes Foodborne Illness Outbreak

On October 19, 2011, FDA released a document which provides an overview of factors that potentially contributed to the contamination of fresh, whole cantaloupe with the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which was implicated in a 2011 multi-state outbreak of listeriosis. In early September 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments, began to investigate a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis. Early in the investigation, cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in the southwest region of Colorado were implicated in the outbreak. 

On September 10, 2011, FDA, along with Colorado state officials, conducted an inspection at Jensen Farms during which FDA collected multiple samples, including whole cantaloupes and environmental (non-product) samples from within the facility, for laboratory culturing to identify the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Of the 39 environmental samples collected from within the facility, 13 were confirmed positive for Listeria monocytogenes with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern combinations that were indistinguishable from three of the four outbreak strains collected from affected patients. Cantaloupe collected from the firm’s cold storage during the inspection was also confirmed positive for Listeria monocytogenes with PFGE pattern combinations that were indistinguishable from two of the four outbreak strains.

As a result of the isolation of outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes in the environment of the packing facility and whole cantaloupes collected from cold storage, and the fact that this is the first documented listeriosis outbreak associated with fresh, whole cantaloupe in the United States, FDA initiated an environmental assessment in conjunction with Colorado state and local officials. FDA, state, and local officials conducted the environmental assessment at Jensen Farms on September 22-23, 2011. The environmental assessment was conducted to gather more information to assist FDA in identifying the factors that potentially contributed to the introduction, growth, or spread of the Listeria monocytogenes strains that contaminated the cantaloupe. 

FDA identified the following factors as those that most likely contributed to the introduction, spread, and growth of Listeria monocytogenes in the cantaloupes:

Introduction:

• There could have been low level sporadic Listeria monocytogenes in the field where the cantaloupe were grown, which could have been introduced into the packing facility
• A truck used to haul culled cantaloupe to a cattle operation was parked adjacent to the packing facility and could have introduced contamination into the facility

Spread:

• The packing facility’s design allowed water to pool on the floor near equipment and employee walkways;
• The packing facility floor was constructed in a manner that made it difficult to clean
• The packing equipment was not easily cleaned and sanitized; washing and drying equipment used for cantaloupe packing was previously used for postharvest handling of another raw agricultural commodity.

Growth:

• There was no pre-cooling step to remove field heat from the cantaloupes before cold storage. As the cantaloupes cooled there may have been condensation that promoted the growth of Listeria monocytogenes.

FDA’s findings regarding this particular outbreak highlight the importance for firms to employ good agricultural and management practices in their packing facilities as well as in growing fields. FDA recommends that firms employ good agricultural and management practices recommended for the growing, harvesting, washing, sorting, packing, storage and transporting of fruits and vegetables sold to consumers in an unprocessed or minimally processed raw form. 

FDA has issued a warning letter to Jensen Farms based on environmental and cantaloupe samples collected during the inspection. FDA’s investigation at Jensen Farms is still considered an open investigation.

Jensen Farms’ Recall

Jensen Farms voluntarily recalled¹ its whole cantaloupes on Sept. 14 in response to the multi-state outbreak of listeriosis. Cantaloupes from other farms have not been linked to this outbreak.

FDA has successfully audited the majority of Jensen Farms’ direct and secondary accounts. The recalled cantaloupes were produced from the end of July to September 10, 2011. Given that the Jensen Farms’ recall has been in effect for more than a month and that the shelf life of a cantaloupe is approximately two weeks, it is expected that all of the recalled whole Jensen Farms cantaloupes have been removed from the marketplace.

FDA has verified that the following states received recalled cantaloupes directly from Jensen Farms: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. There is no indication of foreign distribution. 

Consumer Safety Information

Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, about 40^◦ Fahrenheit (4^◦ Celsius). The longer ready-to-eat refrigerated foods are stored in the refrigerator, the more opportunity Listeria has to grow.

It is very important that consumers clean their refrigerators and other food preparation surfaces. Consumers should follow these simple steps:

• Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
• Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
• Wipe up spills in the refrigerator immediately and clean the refrigerator regularly.
• Always wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitization process.                           

FDA advises consumers not to eat the recalled cantaloupes and to throw them away. Do not try to wash the harmful bacteria off the cantaloupe as contamination may be both on the inside and outside of the cantaloupe. Cutting, slicing and dicing may also transfer harmful bacteria from the fruit’s surface to the fruit’s flesh.

Listeriosis is rare but can be fatal, especially in certain high-risk groups. These groups include older adults, people with compromised immune systems and unborn babies and newborns. In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and serious illness or death in newborn babies, though the mother herself rarely becomes seriously ill. A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches. Persons who think they might have become ill should consult their doctor.

For more information on the epidemiologic investigation, please refer to CDC’s Investigation on the Multi-State Listeriosis Outbreak².

Questions to Consider

1.  What might the unaffected producers do to protect themselves from the crisis and why might those actions be helpful?

2.  Why should the FDA report intensify the crisis for Jensen Farms?

3.  Is it fair for stores to remove cantaloupe from their shelves?  How can they justify such actions?

4.  What role does the number of deaths and infections do to keep the crisis alive?

5.  What actions should Jensen Farms be taking at this point to address the crisis?  How would those actions be related to risk communication? 

6.  How should the crisis effect the discussion of food safety in the US?

Cantaloupe Crisis to Linger: Incubation and Litigation

It would seem quick to follow up on the cantaloupe post from yesterday but there are still some additional points to consider and information continues to roll in about the crisis.  It is odd for listeria to be found in a fruit, in fact it is the first ever listeria outbreak associated with cantaloupe.  Listeria is associated with processed meat, cheese, and milk.  Listeria can take up to two months to incubate.  That means more cases, and possible deaths, can keep appearing for weeks.  Each new case has the potential to extend the crisis and traditional and social media keep reporting on the events.

Jensen Farms remains at the center of the crisis as their cantaloupe are the cause of the outbreak.  However, there are gaps in the information about where the infected cantaloupe had been shipped.  Consider the following news item:

“Neither the government nor Jensen Farms has supplied a list of retailers who may have sold the fruit. Officials say consumers should ask retailers about the origins of their cantaloupe. If they still aren’t sure, they should get rid of it.

Jensen Farms of Holly, Colo. says it shipped cantaloupes to 25 states, though the FDA has said it may be more, and illnesses have been discovered in several states that were not on the shipping list. A spokeswoman for Jensen Farms said the company’s product is often sold and resold, so they do not always know where it went.

The recalled cantaloupes may be labeled ‘Colorado Grown,’ ‘’Distributed by Frontera Produce,’ ‘’Jensenfarms.com’ or ‘Sweet Rocky Fords.’ Not all of the recalled cantaloupes are labeled with a sticker, the FDA said. The company said it shipped out more than 300,000 cases of cantaloupes that contained five to 15 melons, meaning the recall involved 1.5 million to 4.5 million pieces of fruit.”

Officials are still working to track down the cause of the outbreak.  As one news story noted:

“Government investigators are continuing to search for the root cause of the outbreak, examining the possibility of animal or water contamination as well as the farm’s harvesting practices.”

Doubt will linger about the product’s safety until the root cause can be found.  Until a cause is found, no corrective actions can be taken that will reassure customers that the same event will not be repeated. 

Uncertainty is a part of crises but no identified cause coupled with no clear list of retailers generates great uncertainty for customers.  This uncertainty is captured the following comment from the CDC:

“If it’s not Jensen Farms, it’s OK to eat,” said Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC. “But if you can’t confirm it’s not Jensen Farms, then it’s best to throw it out.”

The uncertainty creates problems for all cantaloupe growers.  People become fearful of the product and avoid all cantaloupe.  Such was the situation in 1991 when Texas cantaloupe was associated with a salmonella outbreak.  California cantaloupe growers experienced a drop in sales too as customers just new “cantaloupe” was dangerous and was not differentiating between Texas and California cantaloupe.  In 1992, the Cantaloupe Advisory Board in California reduced its promotional spending believing a low profile would help people to forgive the health scare from 1991.  Other Colorado growers are concerned about the effects on their sales:

Local farmers are worried about cantaloupe sales after a Colorado farm says listeria has been found in some of its fruit. The new developments have prompted a recall of the fruit from Jensen Farms in melon-rich area of Rocky Ford.

Thursday’s recall most likely means a slow down in sales for local farmers, too. And, with melon season heating up for some on the Western Slope, it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“It can be devastating if it’s in some of your major items,” Farmer Robert Helmer said of a produce recall.

Another factor that helps crises to linger are lawsuits.  Lawsuits can bring media attention and do involve financial costs.  More families are initiating lawsuits against Jensen Farms.  Here is sample of the media coverage from one lawsuit: 

Herbert Stevens of Littleton, Colo., bought half of a Jensen Farms cantaloupe wrapped in plastic at a local grocery store on Aug. 10 and the 84-year-old developed tremors on Aug. 22.

“On the 24th, he got really weak and was in a sitting position and couldn’t get up,” his daughter, Jeni Exley, told ABCNews.com.

Stevens’ wife called 911 and he was taken to a hospital, where doctors discovered he had a fever of 102.7. By the end of the weekend, he had been diagnosed with listeriosis.

Antibiotics destroyed the listeria in Stevens’ body, but he remains weak and it’s unclear when — if ever — he’ll be able to leave the long-term care facility where he’s been living for the past week.

“He is making some progress but still relies on a walker to walk and assistance with activities of daily living,” Exley said.

Prior to contracting the bacteria, Stevens was able to walk without assistance and was in good health. He often took trips abroad with his family, most recently to Sweden.

Right now, however, “He sleeps for most of the day,” said Exley. “This has played havoc with his whole body.”

 

The stories do generate sympathy for the victims given the deadly nature and effects of listeria.

Finally, the Food and Drug Adminstration said the situation is further evidence of teh need for the  Food Safety Modernization Act.

 

Questions to Consider

1.  What else could Jensen Farms do to improve on its crisis communication effort?

2.  How does this case illustrate the constraints that can limit an organization’s ability to respond effectively to a crisis?

3.  What can other producers do to limit the collateral damage from this crisis?

4.  Why does the CDC play such a pivotal role in these types of food borne illness crises?

5.  Jensen’s is considered a family farm.  Why might that be an asset in this crisis?

6.  Does Jensen Farms need to do more to address the lack of information about retailers?  Why or why not?

7.  Is this an appropriate time to push the Food Safety Modernazation Act?  Why or why not?

 

Fear the Fruit? Cantaloupe and Listeria in 2011

Cantaloupe is an ancient fruit with references dating back to ancient Egypt in  2600BC.  People are very familiar with the orange fruit.  It is a staple of summer along with watermelon.  But any food can become deadly if it is tainted in some way.  In 2011, a deadly listeria outbreak was caused by cantaloupe from Colorado.  It was a multistate outbreak with victims appearing in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. By late September of 2011, 16 deaths were associated with the outbreak making it one of the most outbreaks in over a decade. 

Listeria is not uncommon with over 1,600 cases in the U.S. each year and an average of three to four outbreaks.  Unfortunately, the death rate from listeria tends to be higher than for other food-borne bacteria.  Here is some additional information about listeria from the Cetners for Disease Control (CDC):

 

What is listeriosis?

Listeriosis, a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, is an important public health problem in the United States. The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. However, rarely, persons without these risk factors can also be affected. The risk may be reduced by following a few simple recommendations.

What are the symptoms of listeriosis?

A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches, often preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Almost everyone who is diagnosed with listeriosis has “invasive” infection, in which the bacteria spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms vary with the infected person:

• Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience only a mild, flu-like illness. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
• Persons other than pregnant women: Symptoms, in addition to fever and muscle aches, can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

How great is the risk for listeriosis?

In the United States, an estimated 1,600 persons become seriously ill with listeriosis each year. Of these, 260 die. The following groups are at increased risk:

• Pregnant women: Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis. About one in six (17%) cases of listeriosis occurs during pregnancy.
• Newborns: Newborns suffer the most serious effects of infection in pregnancy.
• Persons with weakened immune systems from transplants or certain diseases, therapies, or medications.
• Persons with cancer, diabetes, alcoholism, liver or kidney disease.
• Persons with AIDS: They are almost 300 times more likely to get listeriosis than people with normal immune systems.
• Older adults

Healthy children and adults occasionally get infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.

 

With any food-borne illness, the CDC works closely with state and local health officials to identify the cause of an outbreak once one has been identified.  The research involves interviewing victims to determine what and where they have eaten and to test food once possible sources have been identified.  In this case, the source was linked to Jensen Farms and its field in Granada, Colorado.  Consumers were warned not to eat Rocky Ford cantaloupes from Jensen Farms.  Clearly this was a case of product harm and a recall was issued.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted the official government statement on the recall:

Jensen Farms Recalls Cantaloupe Due to Possible Health Risk

 

Contact:
Consumer
800-267-4561
recall@rfordcantaloupe.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 14, 2011 – Jensen Farms, of Holly, CO is voluntarily recalling their shipments of Rocky Ford whole cantaloupe because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria. The company is working with the State of Colorado and the FDA to inform consumers of this recall. L. monocytogenes is a bacterium that can contaminate foods and cause a mild non-invasive illness (called listerial gastroenteritis) or a severe, sometimes life-threatening, illness (called invasive listeriosis). Persons who have the greatest risk of experiencing listeriosis after consuming foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes are fetuses and neonates who are infected after the mother is exposed to L. monocytogenes during pregnancy, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.

The whole cantaloupes in question were shipped between July 29th, 2011 and September 10th 2011, and distributed to the following states: IL, WY, TN, UT, TX, CO, MN, KS, NM, NC, MO, NE, OK, AZ, NJ, NY, PA. The whole cantaloupes have a green and white sticker that reads: Product of USA- Frontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford-Cantaloupe or a gray, yellow, and green sticker that reads: Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords. If the whole cantaloupe is unlabeled, please contact your retail store for sourcing information. Jensen Farms is requesting any consumer that many have one of these cantaloupes to please destroy the products.

The recall involves only whole cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms, and no other commodities are involved. Jensen Farms feels it is prudent to participate in the recall as the State of Colorado has stated (in their September 12th, 2011 press release) that people at a high risk for infection should not eat whole cantaloupe from the Rocky Ford growing region.

“Jensen Farms continues to stay committed to the highest levels of food safety and maintains many third party safety audits, as we have for many years. We continually look for ways to enhance our protocol,” said Ryan Jensen, partner at Jensen Farms. Jensen Farms is a 3rd generation family farm of the Holly, Colorado community.

Consumers with questions may contact Jensen Farms via email at recall@rfordcantaloupe.com or phone 1-800-267-4561 between the hours of 9am and 4pm MST.

 

###

 The notice provided links to Flickr pictures of the recalled fruit.  Visuals make it easier for to identify if they have the recalled product. 

The product harm created a crisis for Jensen Farms.  Here is their announcement of the recall from their web site:

 

Company Statement

STATEMENT REGARDING 9/16/11 CANTALOUPE TEST RESULTS FROM COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT “We are deeply saddened to learn that cantaloupes grown on our farm have been linked to the current Listeria outbreak. Our hearts go out to those individuals and their families who have been affected by this terrible situation. “We have been cooperating fully with public health officials who are trying to determine the source of the outbreak, and we will continue to do everything we can to assist them in their efforts. We hope that the investigation into the entire supply chain from farm to retail identifies the source of the contamination so that appropriate steps can be taken to prevent such an occurrence from ever happening again.”

Eric and Ryan Jensen
Jensen Farms

Press Release

Jensen Farms Recalls Cantaloupe Due to Possible Health Risk FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 14th, 2011-Jensen Farms, of Holly, CO is voluntarily recalling their shipments of Rocky Ford whole cantaloupe because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria. The company is working with the State of Colorado and the FDA to inform consumers of this recall. L. monocytogenes is a bacterium that can contaminate foods and cause a mild non-invasive illness (called listerial gastroenteritis) or a severe, sometimes life-threatening, illness (called invasive listeriosis). Persons who have the greatest risk of experiencing listeriosis after consuming foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes are fetuses and neonates who are infected after the mother is exposed to L. monocytogenes during pregnancy, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems. The whole cantaloupes in question were shipped between July 29th, 2011 and September 10th 2011, and distributed to the following states: IL, WY, TN, UT, TX, CO, MN, KS, NM, NC, MO, NE, OK, AZ, NJ, NY, PA. The whole cantaloupes have a green and white sticker that reads: Product of USA- Frontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford- Cantaloupe or a gray, yellow, and green sticker that reads: Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords. If the whole cantaloupe is unlabeled, please contact your retail store for sourcing information. Jensen Farms is requesting any consumer that may have one of these cantaloupes to please destroy the products. The recall involves only whole cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms, and no other commodities are involved. Jensen Farms feels it is prudent to participate in the recall as the State of Colorado has stated (in their September 12th, 2011 press release) that people at a high risk for infection should not eat whole cantaloupe from the Rocky Ford growing region. “Jensen Farms continues to stay committed to the highest levels of food safety and maintains many third party safety audits, as we have for many years. We continually look for ways to enhance our protocol,” said Ryan Jensen, partner at Jensen Farms. Jensen Farms is a 3rd generation family farm of the Holly, Colorado community. Consumers with questions may contact Jensen Farms via email at recall@rfordcantaloupe.com or phone 1-800-267-4561 between the hours of 9am and 4pm MST.

The recall information could be found using a link placed in the bottom right corner of the Jensen Farms home page.  The information was clearly visible in the “Farm Blog” tab and easy to access.  Jensen Farms has a Facebook page with a little over 200 fans/likes.  They posted a statement there are well and their supports rallied around the company.  Below is the Facebook post and some responses:

Many Thanks to those with continued support of Jensen Farms

We want to reach out an thank everyone for supporting us through this terrible time in the history of our beloved farm. Your messages and wall posts are helping us stay motivated, and optimistic about our future. Thank you…

Responses:

We are very sorry to hear about your time of trial our family will lift up you, your family and the others affected by this trial. God Bless and keep trusting.

I feel the store may have been the issue..I hope and pray your farm is clean so you can continue to share good food with us all….But Please do us all a favor…edcuate everyone as you learn…..the truth:) We are all with you and with the families that are ill…we are just a small farm , we grow organics for ourself but need farms like you to supply what we dont grow for ourself….Our trust is in the truth….best wishes to your family and the families of the ill to get to the bottom of this , to learn and grow

Love you guys and hope everything gets cleared up soon!!!

Praying for you and your family. I will continue to purchase our produce direct from the Arkansas Valley. Hope the consumers will learn how important it is to wash their produce no matter what. Don’t ever loose the faith, God Bless.

I am praying for your family/farm, and will continue to buy your produce!

I cant even imagine but you have mine and my families support..click on me if you need any help, I’ll try and do what ever I can…Im really ticked that this happened weather it was planted or just a freak of nature. Im even more ticked that someone is wanting to be greedy and gain from this mess..But you do have my support, just ask…thats what people do they come together and help

It really could have happened to anyone, so my best hope is that people understand this and don’t let it stop them from buying your produce in the future. Best of luck!

I’m so sorry this has happened and you will always have my support!

Praying for you guys! This is just heart breaking and if there is anything we can do to help just let us know! I love cantaloupe, it’s my favorite. Everyone needs to make sure they wash their produce before it is consumed.

 

With people becoming ill and dying, a lawsuit was quick to follow the crisis.   Charles Palmer, 71 years-old, was hospitalized for two weeks from the listeria in the cantaloupe he ate.  Here are the Jensen Farm comments in the story about the lawsuit:

“We’re deeply saddened that there’s a possibility that our family’s cantaloupe could have gotten somebody sick,” Jensen Farms owner Eric Jensen told 7NEWS Thursday. “Our first priority is the public’s health and safety.”  Jensen’s fourth-generation family farm in Holly, normally busy with harvest now, was ghostly quiet after the suspected listeria contamination forced Jensen to shut down Monday and destroy his cantaloupe crops.

The grower launched a voluntary nationwide recall on Wednesday.

Jensen said the farm had never faced a public health crisis and he’d never heard of listeria contaminating cantaloupe.  “We’re still in shock,” Jensen said, choking with emotion. “We’re completely focused on our recall efforts right now.”  Jensen said he had no clue about the source of the contamination, adding that it could still be found “on the retail end.”  While a terrible setback, Jensen said that the listeria outbreak wouldn’t claim his farm.

“We’ll definitely be back,” Jensen vowed.

 

Crises with victims typically are extended in time and cost by lawsuits.  Victims sue the organization causing longer attention from the media and increased costs from the litigation and any settlements resulting from the litigation. 

Questions to Consider

1.  How would you rate the crisis response from Jensen Farms and what factors influenced that rating?

2.  How does the government’s involved in a crisis response help or hurt the organization trying to management the crisis?

3.  How did the Jensen Farm recall statement differ from the FDA’s and why would there be a difference?

4.  Was it a good or bad idea for Jensen Farms to post a message of Facebook?  What is the reasoning behind your conclusion?

5.  In general, how might the supportive statements on Facebook help Jensen Farms through this crisis?

6.  Is there any way Jensen Farms might effectively incorporate the supportive Facebook comments into their later crisis response strategies?

7.  What advice would you give to Jensen Farms about recovering from the crisis at this point?

 

Graphic Images coming to US Cigarette Packs

The US is finally following countries like Canada, Australia, Chile, Iran, Brazil, and Singapore in placing graphic images of the ravages of smoking on cigarette packs.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will oversee the change.  Companies will have 18 months to place the images on the cigarette packs after the FDA creates the specific recommendations.  The entire process will take about three years.  The images will cover at least half the front and the back of the cigarette packs showing the health dangers from smoking.  The EU provided 42 graphic images for cigarette packs starting in 2004. http://no-smoking.org/oct04/10-22-04-4.html

So why the graphic images?  The answer is to reduce cigarette smoking.

“Though hard to look at, the more graphic the image, the more effective in discouraging smoking, said Stanton Glantz, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and director of the university’s Center for Tobacco Control, Research and Education. ‘The graphic warnings really work,” he said. “They substantially increase the likelihood someone will quit smoking. They substantially decrease the chances a kid will smoke. And they really screw up the ability of the tobacco industry to use the packaging as a marketing tool,’ he added, according to HealthDay News report.” http://bulldogreporter.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=2436B6EB9392483ABB0A373E8B823A24&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&AudID=213D92F8BE0D4A1BB62EB3DF18FCCC68&tier=4&id=D5D7BB3D24D244FE88C2A9E8A5010D89

Currently about 21% of the US population smoking according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Cigarette smoking is seen as one of the drains on US health care.  People are healthier and less costly if they do not smoke.  Now the graphics images will be used to chow people what can happened to them.  It is no longer just words but images of what can happen.

Questions to Consider

1.  Would this effort qualify as a social marketing effort?
2. The campaign is based on fear.  What is the problem of rely just on fear to change behaviors?
3. How could Witte’s EPPM be used to create an effective message based upon the images on packages concept?  In other words, what other information and actions are needed to make the effort effective?
4. Who are main stakeholders in this issue and what does each stand to gain or lose?
5. Are there any ethical concerns about the graphic images on cigarette packages?
6. How could this same tactic be applied to other public health issues?

Hand-Desanitizer: Irony for Clarcon

A product becomes ironic when it does the opposite of what it should do.  Imagine a laundry detergent that made clothes dirty.  Such was the case for Clarcon Biological Chemistry Laboratory Inc. of Roy, Utah.  In June of 2009,  its hand sanitizer was found to contaminated and to cause infections.  An FDA inspection lead to the voluntary recall.  It should be noted almost all US recalls are voluntary as the US government allows the company to save face/reputation.  The FDA told consumers to just thrown the product out.  Here the specific concern from the FDA news release:

” Analyses of several samples of over-the-counter topical antimicrobial skin sanitizer and hand protectant products revealed high levels of various bacteria, including some associated with unsanitary conditions.

Some of these bacteria can cause opportunistic infections of the skin and underlying tissues. Such infections may need medical or surgical attention, and may result in permanent damage.

FDA finds the inspection results particularly concerning because the products are promoted as antimicrobial agents that claim to treat open wounds, damaged skin, and protect against various infectious diseases.

The inspection uncovered serious deviations from FDA’s requirements.

Consumers should not use any Clarcon products. Examples of these products include

• Citrushield Lotion

• Dermasentials DermaBarrier

• Dermassentials by Clarcon Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer

• Iron Fist Barrier Hand Treatment

• Skin Shield Restaurant

• Skin Shield Industrial

• Skin Shield Beauty Salon Lotion

• Total Skin Care Beauty

• Total Skin Care Work”

 http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm164845.htm

In August of 2009, the FDA instructed the US Marshalls to seize all hand sanitizer at Clarcon’s Roy, Utah facility.  Marshalls seizing a product is an unusual move.  Here is part of the FDA statement after the raid:

“’The FDA is committed to taking enforcement action against firms that do not manufacture drugs in accordance with our current good manufacturing practice requirements,”’said Deborah M. Autor, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Office of Compliance. ‘We will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect consumers from defective products.’” http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm174940.htm

As you can imagine, this was a perfect news story.  One news value is oddity (Chapter 6 Media Relations) and this is an oddity.  Rarely has the term irony been used so appropriately.  Here is a typical segment form a news story about the recall:

“The FDA said its findings, following a recent inspection of the Clarcon facility, are particularly concerning because the products are promoted as antimicrobial agents that claim to treat open wounds and damaged skin and protect against various infectious diseases. The inspection uncovered serious deviations from FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practice requirements, the agency said.

Calls to Clarcon for comment Monday night were not answered.”

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/FDA-Warns-Of-Major-Hand-Sanitizer-Recall/74OKJrWbeE-k49FW2QpMFg.cspx

The online media enjoyed the recall as Clarcon was the subject of blogs and tweets.

 Sample tweet:  “drlawmom: @bretta75 Did you read that all hand sanitizer from CLARCON has been recalled due to dangerous bacteria.”

Sample post (from a registered nurse): “Clarcon claims to use strict quality control measures in their manufacturing process. In this instance, consumers are warned to discard the products, and do not use them under any circumstances because of risk of serious infection and complications that could cause permanent damage.” http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/66/32602/fda-clarcon-products-linked-unsanitary-conditions.html
Ideally this case would include material from Clarcon but there is hardly any comment by the company and their web site has down through August of 2009.

Questions to Consider:

1.  In addition to oddity, what other factors make the Clarcon story newsworthy (Chapter 5)?
2. From the short news story segment in the case, who seemed to be framing the event and what evidence supports that conclusion?
3. What effect might the online comments have had on the case?
4. If we treat this case a crisis, what communication recommendations would you have had for Clarcon and what is the rationale behind each recommendation (Chapter 12)?
5. If you were to rate the reputation threat of this crisis on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the greatest threat, what score would you give it an why?
6. How might the online environment been used to protect Clarcon’s reputation during the crisis (Chapter 7)?