A pile of tomatoes are seen on display at a wholesale produce market in Washington, June 12, 2008. (Jim Young/Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
As more Americans get sick while
health officials look for the cause of a salmonella outbreak
sweeping the country, consumer groups said on Thursday the Food
and Drug Administration must put emergency rules in place to
track the movement of produce.

Food safety and consumer groups said traceability would
make it easier for officials to track through the supply chain
the origin of fruits and vegetables and identify the source of
outbreaks of foodborne toxins, such as salmonella or E. coli,
preventing more people from getting sick.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the
Consumer Federation of America told reporters an effective
tracking plan must follow the produce from the farm to the
table, and use a single system that can ensure proper
record-keeping throughout the process.

“If (the FDA) had put a traceability plan in place two
years ago, following the spinach outbreak, this current
investigation may be moving more quickly,” said Chris Waldrop,
a director at the Consumer Federation of America.

“The latest outbreak clearly demonstrates the need for the
federal government to be able to quickly and easily identify
and trace an implicated food to its source,” he added.

Currently, U.S. health officials are struggling to find the
source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 869
people and hospitalized 107 in at least 36 states.

Tomatoes are the primary focus, but officials have expanded
the investigation to include other produce eaten with tomatoes.

David Acheson, FDA's associate commissioner for food
protection, said on Tuesday the process has been slow and
admitted the agency needs to reexamine how it handles
outbreaks.

This comes two years after an outbreak tied to tainted
spinach. That E. coli outbreak killed three people and sickened
more than 200. These incidents have prompted calls for change
at the FDA.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the
Consumer Federation said tracking technologies are already
being used by produce companies, but the approach is voluntary
and businesses are using different systems and approaches.

They also called on the FDA to require growers and others
handling produce to have food safety plans for their
businesses.

Bob Brackett, a senior vice president at the Grocery
Manufacturers Association, said high-risk produce associated
with illnesses — such as leafy greens, tomatoes and melons —
should be targeted for traceability first, before moving to
other fruits and vegetables.

“The idea is good, but it needs to be implemented where it
is going to do the most for public health,” said Brackett.

(Editing by Walter Bagley)