FDA Increases Oversight of Papaya Imports Following Recall

By Mike Rozembajgier

In response to the recent recall of Mexican papayas by Agromod Produce, Inc., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stepped up its surveillance and sampling of papayas coming into the United States. This should put all produce importers on notice of increased regulator concern regarding the safety of their products.

The Packer reported details of the policy change, noting that “recent analytical results of samples of Mexican papayas indicate an elevated number of microbiological contamination violations, specifically salmonella violations.” Producers and distributors should not leave this more frequent and thorough testing to the regulators alone.

Although the Agency has not set an end date to this regulatory action, the FDA reports that it has already prevented ten contaminated papaya samples from entering the U.S. The FDA has also warned that due to this increased surveillance, American papaya importers may experience shipping delays, but so far, the nation’s most prominent papaya importers, including Tex Starr Distributing LLC, have not had any problems.

While the FDA’s increased surveillance should help prevent new instances of contaminated papayas making it to market, all produce importers should use this as an opportunity to re-evaluate their own quality control and assurance programs. Just because this particular salmonella outbreak was tied to papayas does not mean other produce importers should relax.  The key to effective recall management is to prepare for problems and prevent them from happening in the first place. By taking this opportunity to audit and improve their own sampling practices companies can spot shortcomings in their supply chain oversight process.

In a press release issued in response to the papaya recall, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), ranking member of the House Labor, Education, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, called this crisis a “prime example” of the FDA’s lack of funding and inability to implement the most important aspects of the Food Safety Modernization Act.

As the FDA continues to develop new strategies to meet its increasingly complex network of oversight responsibilities, stronger industry self-policing may be necessary to ensure the safety of our food supply. It appears the nation’s largest papaya importers and the FDA have this crisis under control, But even those companies not directly affected by this latest government action should see this as an opportunity for improvement and a chance to make sure that their supply chains meet industry standards.

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