Salmonella scare hurting local business

Owner of Evergreen Produce in Moyie Springs, Nadine Scharf is distraught over reports of salmonella in the sprouts they produce.

This after the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning Monday to consumers, asking people to avoid Evergreen Produce brand alfalfa sprouts or spicy sprouts because they may be linked to 20 cases of salmonella poisoning.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in people with weakened immune systems. It can cause diarrhea, fever and vomiting

Of the persons reported with Salmonella infection linked to the outbreak, six have reported consumption of sprouts obtained from the northern Idaho grower.

The agency’s warning to consumers is an unusual step that the agency will usually takes if a company refuses to recall a product and officials believe there is possible danger to those who consume it.

“We represent 14 families in our plant and no one has ever gotten sick from our plants or sprouts,” said Scharf.  “We give them to neighbors and friends and never have had a problem.”

According to Scharf, the FDA took samples over a week ago and have not informed her of any positive results for salmonella. When Scharf calls they tell her they haven’t received results yet.

While the FDA now has the power to force a recall the agency has not yet used that power. FDA generally works with companies to voluntarily issue a recall before it takes more drastic steps.

In the warning, the FDA urged consumers not to eat alfalfa or spicy sprouts in plastic bags labeled “Evergreen Produce” or “Evergreen Produce Inc.”

 The agency said it believes they were distributed in Idaho, Montana and Washington. Scharf said that their products are distributed to Spokane, Wash., where they are then sent to other places.

Evergreen Produce has been in business for 23 years in Moyie Springs.  They moved into a new building five years ago. The company ships their sprouts to a Spokane warehouse where they are distributed to clients of the warehouse company.

“We have no way of knowing where exactly our products go,” Scharf said.

Scharf said the facility is subject to quarterly military inspections and they have always have passed with flying colors.

“Every time we have had our plants, sprouts and facility checked it has always come back with negative results for any type of bacteria,” Scharf said. “We have never had any type of bacteria found in any of our products or facility.”

Scharf said all orders have stopped from warehouses and they have had to send employees home to be on stand-by until the scare is over and they can start filling orders again.

“This has really hurt our business and we have lost thousands of dollars and we still have an overhead to meet,” Scharf said. “I don’t know how long we can hold up under this stress.”

Scharf said she thinks the publicity over the European outbreak is causing the agency to be more vigilant.

“Recalling the sprouts that are out there would be like saying I am guilty of having bacterially contaminated sprouts, and as of today they haven’t documented the fact that any of our sprouts have bacteria in them,” she said.

Panhandle Health District public information officer Cynthia Taggart said  that they did not have confirmation that Evergreen Produce was the source of the salmonella and they could not comment until there was confirmation. 

She said it was too early in the investigation for the Panhandle Health District to name a possible source.

Taggart said a press release would come out if it was proved that Evergreen Produce was the source of the salmonella.

Emily Simnit, Public Information Officer for Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said it is difficult to say how long a food investigation will take.  At this point in the investigation the FDA interviewed people who have tested positive for this strain of salmonella and also ate sprouts from Evergreen Produce. Part of the investigation includes testing the actual product. The FDA will also continue to monitor people who have tested positive for the strain and use that to guide the investigation.

“It is also possible we will never know for sure what the source is,” said Simnit.

Messages were also left for Stephanie Yao with the FDA office of public affairs and she did not return call.  Yao did send an  e-mail stating, “This is an open investigation. As such, I am unable to share details not already made public via the FDA press release.”

•Salmonella is an acute bacterial infection that can cause diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Symptoms usually develop within one to five days after eating contaminated food.

Most cases resolve without the need for medical attention, and antibiotics are not advised for most persons with uncomplicated illness.

The risk of severe illness is particularly high among the elderly, people with immune deficiency and the very young.

Some people with salmonella develop serious illness that can lead to hospitalization and even death.

Health officials advise persons who have consumed sprouts and experience these symptoms to seek medical attention.