Food Safety from A Small, Organic Farmer's View

The recent outbreaks of food poisonings, from salmonella to E. coli, have drawn America's attention to its food safety network. While the most recent peanut butter paste salmonella scandal appears to be rooted in the manufacturing practices and ethics of one ingredient supplier, most food safety concerns historically have been traced back to the farms.

It seems fitting, then, to get a review from a farmer on this whole food safety situation. Steve Gilman, owner of Ruckytucks Farm and former board member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, provides a detailed perspective on current and recent food safety problems with peanut butter, tomatoes, peppers and other produce, as well as some insights on how the country's food safety net works (or falters). He also provides an overview of good agricultural practices (GAPs) and talks about the impact these food safety gaffes have had on farmers, especially the small, family and organic farms.

The most alarming comments are about how food safety problems happen routinely, but mostly unreported; GAPs are currently in a messy state, with a "baffling array" of GAP programs that are pretty much voluntary (although the market is demanding some form of certification); and in the current system of large-scale industrialized growers and handlers, a single case of contamination can affect thousands of eaters countrywide.

Gilman's detailed article appears on the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) Web site.