who’s minding the store? the current state of food safety and how it can be improved

Who’s Minding The Store? The Current State of Food Safety And How It Can Be Improved

The Role of Media in Public Health and Food Safety

The Contributions of Media and Science Writers to Food Safety

Presented by Jim PrevorPresident and Editor-in-ChiefPerishablePundit.comJPrevor@PhoenixMediaNet.com

BEGINNINGS…WHOLESALE• Wallabout Market in Brooklyn

BEGINNINGS…WHOLESALE• Washington Street Market in

Manhattan

BEGINNINGS…WHOLESALE• Hunts Point Market

…AND MORE• Exporters• Importers• Supermarkets• Convenience Stores• Mail order• Restaurants• Farms

BEGINNINGS

Agenda• How We Work• The Role of B-to-B Media• Food Safety: Thoughts from the

Trenches

Prime Directive• Editorial Integrity

• “We have many advertisers but only one reputation, if we lose advertisers, we will get more, if we lose our reputation, we will lose everything.”

Rules to Write By• Fearless• Frank• Always Keep a Secret

Long Term Relationships• Deep Knowledge

• People• Operations

• Access• Frankness• Favortism

Industry Knowledge• Analytical Framework• Historical Awareness• Access to Expertise• Formal Research

Intense Coverage• Spinach Crisis 2006

• 100 Days• 317 Articles• Over One Million Words

• Editorial Awards• ASBPE• ABM• Others

The Role of B-to-B Media• Help the industry understand the

world.• Help the industry to understand

Itself• Help the world to understand the

industry.• Strive to help the industry

improve.

Help the Industry Understand the World• Government• NGOs• Scientific Journals• Law Reviews• Consumer Media• Important People

Help the Industry to Understand itself• Industry News• Associations• People• Products• Position Issues & Events

Help the World to Understand the Industry

Influence Opinion Leaders“Perishable Pundit – Voice of Reason

– I am an “Perishable avid reader of the Perishable Pundit – especially since the recent E. coli related spinach outbreak.”

-Bill Marler

Influence Opinion Leaders“I am indebted to Jim Prevor, the

Perishable Pundit, for close tracking of the FDA’s import alert on Salmonella in cantaloupes….Thanks …for grappling with these issues with much thought and respect.”

-Marion Nestle

Influence Opinion Leaders Please know how much I appreciate the honesty and wisdom you

bring to this issue. Thank you. I wish we could make you the “benevolent dictator” of the industry. In the end we all want a win/win/win situation. In that world, safe produce, scientific-based standards, a fair business model where everyone gets a reasonable return on their investment and last but not least, a satisfied consumer rules the day.

Keep up the great work. Given the many different topics I deal with (i.e. I just got back from Thailand where I head a major research effort there on avian influenza) I have lots of reading to do each day just to keep up…..but I never miss your columns. I learn a lot from your common-sense wisdom.

-Mike Osterholm

Work With Consumer Media• Publish Articles

• The Wall Street Journal• Quoted in Articles

• Business Week, LA times, NY Times The Lede, The Guardian, Associated Press, Dow Jones Newswire

• Radio and TV interviews• Pulsenet

Work with Wall Street & The City• Conference Calls• Report Writing• Private Consultations

Strive to Help The Industry Improve• Endorse or Oppose• Initiate Industry improvement• Persuade• Rally the Trade for the Good Fight

Food Safety: Thoughts From the Trenches

Epidemeology• Lack of FDA Expertise

• Small Company Abuse

FDA & Sins of Strength• Bully• No Standards• Refuse to Put Things in Writing• Slow to Make Info Available• Impossible Definitions • Legally Dubious Ways• Discretion Leads to Serfdom

Regulation• Real Business Practices vs.

Idealized Regulation• Senator Florez and his 1%• Standard of Regulation• Corruption – USDA Hunts Point• Negligence – 7th Street Market

Science or Superstition• The Governor & The Glove

One Food Safety Agency• Fine – But not the problem

• Environmental• Labor• State vs. Local vs. Federal

Regulatory Red Herring• Farmers Willing to Do Anything• FDA Avoids Clarity to Avoid

Responsibility• Want Liability Conformance Based

FDA & Public Health• Honduras Cantaloupes

• Gold Standard• Import Alert• Buy Cantaloupe Less Safe Sources• Baseline

Zero Tolerance• Field Grown Crops

Buyers & Food Safety• Always Responsible

• Not Price• Specification vs. the Transaction• Culture/Incentives

Thank You!Jim Prevor

www.PerishablePundit.com