Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
National Headquarters: 1 NW OOIDA Drive, Grain Valley, MO 64029
Tel: (816) 229-5791 Fax: (816) 427-4468
Washington Office: 122 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Tel: (202) 347-2007 Fax:(202) 347-2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Norita Taylor, norita_taylor@ooida.com
(800) 444-5791
FDA hears dirty truth on transportation of fresh produce
(Grain Valley, MO, April 13, 2007) – There is more to the spread of germs than just what occurs in the spinach fields and ends up on your dinner salad. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) pointed out to the U. S. Food & Drug Administration key issues in the food supply chain regarding the safety of fresh produce during a public hearing today in College Park, MD.
OOIDA Regulatory Affairs Specialist Joe Rajkovacz testified on the significance of unregulated practices in the transportation industry and how shockingly unsanitary conditions affect the safety of fresh produce.
“Best practices have been well known for many years but economic considerations by shippers and receivers have trumped any meaningful implementation,” he stated.
A prime example he gave referred to an episode of “Dateline NBC,” which aired on March 25, 2007, and exposed poor sanitary conditions at a wholesale produce market in Los Angeles.
“This story was not shocking to most produce truckers,” Rajkovacz noted in his testimony. “We’ve been forced to live with filthy conditions in this industry for decades.”
The Association contended at the FDA hearing that unsanitary and unsafe practices related to handling and shipping fresh produce are a nationwide problem. A lack of sanitary bathroom facilities is a common problem in the fresh produce industry, where truckers are exposed regularly to bathrooms lacking running water, soap and towels.
Pallet exchange is another commonplace practice in the produce industry that is based on economics. It not only transfers shipping costs to the trucker, but it can introduce contaminants.
Often, in order to be loaded, truckers are forced to procure pallets from a pallet yard to exchange with a shipper. It is not unusual for produce haulers to be forced to load produce on pallets that are stained with animal blood, contain residue from chemical shipments or have been left outside and have bird or rodent droppings on them.
This excessive handling and human contact, referred to as “fingerprinting” in the trucking industry, coupled with unsanitary toilets and working conditions, may help introduce disease-causing pathogens into the food supply.
Recalls of produce have had a negative impact on truckers that has been overlooked as well. Last year’s outbreak of E.coli in spinach and the subsequent voluntary recall left many small-business produce truckers with large financial losses as they faced the responsibility of disposing of rejected product. It is a common industry practice for shippers and receivers to evade financial responsibility by leaving truckers “holding the bag” when dealing with recalled product.
“We are their dumping ground,” said Rajkovacz, who hauled produce for more than 20 years before joining the Association staff full time in 2006.
The complete hearing testimony can be read by clicking here.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is the national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the greater Kansas City, MO, area. The Association currently has more than 150,000 members from all 50 states and Canada.