PMA jumped to the defence of the industry last week, after an E.coli outbreak in the US was traced to bagged spinach.

Federal health officials in the US said E.coli had killed one person in Wisconsin and sickened more than 100 in 21 states.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) worked with Natural Food Selections LLC to try to understand the scope and locate the source of any contamination. But in an effort to minimise risk and afford the maximum possible protection to consumers, the FDA and CDHS recommended that fresh spinach that was already in the market be recalled.

Natural Food Selections, which sells bagged fresh spinach that goes into 28 different brand names recalled all products with Best-If-Used-By dates from August 17 to October 1, 2006.

PMA president Bryan Silbermann said: “Natural Selection Foods’ voluntary recall of its products that contain spinach is an exceptional example of the produce industry’s long-standing commitment to putting the health and safety of consumers first. We cannot rest until we find and eliminate the sources of these illnesses.

“PMA stands ready to help Natural Selection Foods and any other member company impacted by this ongoing crisis in any way possible. And of course, our thoughts are with the consumers who have been affected by this illness.

“We understand from the US FDA that the investigation is ongoing. We have encouraged FDA to complete the investigation as quickly as possible so that the industry can take steps to once again supply their retail and foodservice customers with the safe and healthy produce that the public eats every day.”

A second death was under investigation as FPJ went to press. No illnesses have been reported to date outside of the US.

Leafy vegetables are reportedly the second leading cause of E. coli infections in the US, behind ground beef. Robert Brackett, director of the FDA’s centre for food safety and applied sciences, recently said that 19 known outbreaks of E.coli have come from fresh-cut lettuce or spinach since 1995.

In March, the agency issued draft guidance for the safe production of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Last month, it issued what was called the Lettuce Safety Initiative, which specifies visits to farms and packing operations so staff can monitor potential trouble spots and offer recommendations on reducing food contamination.

Some consumer groups believe the US government should do more to regulate farming and packaging, including improvement of the quality of water used for irrigation, the application of manure and sanitary facilities used by workers.

US food supply is administered by 15 agencies, a complex system which has led to calls for legislation to make one agency totally responsible for food safety.

Jim Gorny, senior vice president of food safety and technology for the United Fresh Produce Association, said testing at produce plants would be burdensome and ineffective.

“One hundred per cent inspection is no way to run a food safety programme,” Gorny said.

The produce industry met with Brackett after getting the FDA’s letter. Producers came up with a four-part plan that revolves around outreach programmes to farmers and packagers so they know the best practices to avoid contamination. They also want more federal money for research programmes.

“We don’t feel it’s a lack of compliance,” Gorny said. “It’s a lack of knowledge. That’s what really needs to be attacked.”

Federal officials have also raised the possibility that the US food supply is vulnerable to contamination by terrorists. Ex-health and human services secretary Tommy Thompson said while in office that he worries “every single night” about a possible terror attack on the food supply.

“For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do,” Thompson said.

FDA officials do not suspect terrorism in the latest outbreak.