Former FDA Official Jim O'Hara Compares Tomato Outbreak To Cyclospora Outbreak of 1995
The current crisis recalls concerns raised in 1995 when it was raspberries contaminated by cyclospora, in 1997 when it was strawberries with hepatitis A and in 2006 when it was spinach with E. coli.
JIM O'HARA
Associate Commissioner for Public Affairs
U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 1993-1997
Mr. O'Hara's comparison of the current 25-state Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak involving tomatoes to the last big outbreak of cyclospora in the United States came in a Letter to the Editor published today in the Washington Post. He writes:
One question is paramount: Why hasn't the Food and Drug Administration put in place mandatory, enforceable standards for the growing, harvesting and processing of fresh produce?
The standards should be risk-based and commodity-specific and allow for evolving science.
The "why not" is all the more perplexing, given that not only consumer groups but major trade associations have called for this reform.
Damn good questions Mr. O'Hara. Let us know if you get any answers.
I was just diagnosed with Cyclospora on July 16, 2008. I first saw symptoms on June 13th, when the tomato information came out. My family and 2 friends also had the same symptoms, but their medical tests were inconclusive for cyclospora. 2 of them have heliobactor pylori and C. difficile which don't appear to come from contaminated food. Can the tomatos contain Cyclospora as well?