The producer may have employed Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and passed
their third-party audits; however, the business will still lose market share, as will others
that produce and sell similar products. At this point, the goal is to minimize losses
and then capitalize on the media attention. The heat of a crisis is a lousy time to figure out how to manage the fallout.
In the Midst of Crisis
Nationally, foodborne disease causes an estimated 48 million illnesses and 3,000
deaths annually, with U.S. economic costs estimated at $152 billion to $1.4 trillion
every year.1– 3 An increasing number of these illnesses are associated with fresh fruits
and vegetables. An analysis of outbreaks from 1990 to 2003 found that 12 percent of
outbreaks and 20 percent of outbreak-related illnesses were associated with produce. 4, 5
Once a product is implicated in an outbreak, all growers are affected, although the
contaminated product may have come from one grower in a different locale.
“Once a product is implicated in an outbreak,
all growers are affected, although the
contaminated product may have come from
one grower in a different locale.”
In 2008, tomato growers, wholesalers and retailers in Florida lost an estimated $250
million when they could not sell their product after an investigation of a possible
Salmonella spp. outbreak linked to their product, resulting in a national health advisory. 6
Consumer confidence in the safety of tomato products eroded, while food safety
practices on farms and throughout the supply chain were called into question. Tomato
producers across North America found themselves answering questions about growing
conditions, the safety of inputs handling and distribution of products—even though
the investigation eventually pointed to imported serrano peppers as the source.
Crisis management within the food industry has four phases, which are described
in detail below.
Prevention: Employing a good food safety culture, including staying current on risk factors
GAPs, Good Manufacturing Practices, prerequisite programs and regulations pro-
vide the foundation for producing food safety, but when an outbreak happens, follow-
ing industry best practices and standards is the minimum that buyers expect. These
are must-haves. Companies that integrate food safety into their values—from the chief
executive officer to the sanitation staff—create positive food safety cultures, which is
how an organization or group approaches food safety risks, in thought and in behav-
ior, and is a component of a larger organizational culture. 7 Creating a positive culture
of food safety requires application of the best science with the best management and
communication systems. Owners and operators need to know the risks associated with
their products and how to manage those risks. Having technical staff knowledgeable
about emerging food safety risks and conducting ongoing evaluations of procedures,
supplier requirements and frontline staff practices provide necessary foundations for
a good food safety culture. Steps taken during preparation also demonstrate that the
business was taking steps to reduce risk and answer potential questions like: Did the
company require anything from suppliers with respect to microbiological or other
food safety assurances? Did they learn from any deficiencies pointed out through
audits? What did they do to let their customers know about any potential problems
when they arose?
Preparation: Proactively planning for a problem and monitoring public discussion of risk
Crises will happen. Companies that understand this and are prepared to deal with
them will survive. Those who are not risk losing their market—and often do. While
proactively managing microbiological
risk, organizations with a strong culture
of food safety also anticipate that outbreaks of foodborne illness may occur
despite the use of sound food safety
systems. Industries strong in crisis management, including information sharing,
monitoring and reactive crisis communication skills, can drastically reduce the
impact of deleterious and harmful media
if an outbreak arises. 8 Being prepared to
speak openly about risk reduction strategies and demonstrating risk management
practices can reduce financial impacts
and rebuild public trust quicker than if a
firm/industry had not planned. 9
Management: Implementing the plan
using multiple messages and media
Recovery: Reassessing risk exposure and
telling the story of changes
A firm employing the best crisis
management practices starts the recovery
phase as soon as the problem emerges.
Publicly, producers must address the
problem, apologize to affected individuals and reach out to the media about risk
reduction changes. It is best to establish
a dialogue with groups to demonstrate
the organization’s openness and com-
