Social media snark about “explosive diarrhea” aside, do you really know what you’re supposed to do if you want to avoid eating produce tainted with a parasite?
You probably don’t. That’s not how this is supposed to work.
Is this because of Taco Bell? Taylor Farms? Bagged salads? Political contributions? What about lettuce from a restaurant? What about those who believe they were sickened by berries? How can you keep up with, let alone cut through, the finger pointing?
You can’t. It’s a mess.
The only facts we know is that there are many people affected by this and very little public information available.
Take it from someone who has communicated food recalls and worked with clients regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for decades – the system was designed better than this.
Food safety presents a particularly acute crisis communications scenario, as health and lives are very much at stake. Businesses that care about first things first, namely safety, have dual a commitment: One, communicating in the public interest as quickly as possible and two, doing it “by the book,” following all federal regulations, which have been traditionally agreed as necessary.
In this case, after weeks of reported cases of Cyclospora, particularly here in Michigan, it’s impossible to see any evidence of an actual public communication commitment by anyone in government or business now.
This makes me think of 20 years ago, when I was advising the communicators at what was then the world’s largest pharmaceutical company’s largest medicine-manufacturing plant. The FDA had an open parking spot, located right in front, and 24/7 security clearance and access, to inspect the plant at any time, 24/7. It was all in the name of health and safety and wasn’t considered a regulatory “burden” that anyone complained about. It was just a fact of business life. The understanding was that any issue brought forward by an inspection would be remedied immediately, because otherwise there would be a breach of public trust, which is the lifeblood of that business.
Similarly, in directing the writing of press releases and fielding media calls about food recalls over many years, clients have been steadfastly committed to complying with every regulation, answering every question, and providing clarity and direction to consumers in order to maintain trust even under challenging, unforeseen circumstances.
Despite the memes, this is serious. This is health. This is trust. And throughout the food chain – from the federal government to state governments to growers to distributors to retailers – the public needs information to make informed real-life decisions. It has worked in the past, countless times, and deserves to work now, even in a different political and communications environment.