Increased inspections part of Food Safety Modernization Act 

By SARA HOTTMAN 

H&N Staff Reporter

November 25, 2010

H&N photo by Andrew Mariman    Workers at Wong Potatoes sort out undesirable potatoes as they move along a conveyor system from trucks to boxes at the area potato packaging plant

      Basin produce growers may face new inspection regulations in coming years as the Food Safety Modernization Act advances through the U.S. Senate.

   Last week, the act was voted onto the Senate calendar for eventual consideration. It would give the Food and Drug Administration wider power to mandate inspections and recall produce at risk for food-borne illnesses, following recent widespread spinach and egg contamination.

   The legislation tasks federal and state agencies with implementing monitoring processes, raising cost concerns among states, said Bruce Pokarney, communications director at the Oregon Department of Agriculture.  

   Raw produce affected

   Vegetables and produce that can be consumed raw would be covered in the legislation; locally, that impacts potato crops.

   Individual producers would be required to meet the agencies’ new standards, as well as identify and document potential hazards to growing, packing and shipping their product. Beefed-up inspections would enforce those procedures.

   “If (growers) are having to foot the bill to comply, it’s going to impact their profit margin,” said Brian Charlton, row crop and potato specialist at the Oregon State University K lamath Basin Research and Extension Center.

   But more required inspections also could help streamline the process and reduce costs for growers who already pay for inspections.

   Some see positive effects

   Oregon suspended its mandatory food safety inspections for produce using a free market argument: Good produce will succeed and bad produce will fail, Pokarney said.

   Instead, growers can voluntarily hire Oregon Department of Agriculture inspectors. Shipping point inspections for size and quality are conducted by federal inspectors.

   “For growers who are already paying for that, (more inspections) may not be as big a deal as it might be for someone who might not be doing that,” Charlton said.

   Dan Chin, owner of Wong Potatoes, pays for two food safety inspections and an organic inspection to grow and package his organic and regular potatoes.

   “We choose to do it to give customers some assurance that we a re complying with food safety standards,” he said, adding the chain stores he sells to have their own inspection requirements   anyway.

   Inspections are expensive, he said, but “It’s the cost of doing business anymore.

   “Our complaint is as we deal with these food safety issues, one food safety audit could take care of everyone you service,” Chin said. “We have multiple (chain store) customers (who) require different audits.”

   For instance, Costco wants a lab inspection but Safeway will accept a state inspection. “Standardized food safety would be easier for everybody,” Chin said.