Safety In Numbers
Buyers and suppliers unite to bolster consumer confidence in produce.
A year ago this month, cantaloupe from Jensen Farms was linked to listeria killing 33 people. Jensen marketed its cantaloupe under the Rocky Ford brand, although the company's operation was in Holly, Colo., nearly 100 miles from Rocky Ford. Guilt by association ending up killing confidence in cantaloupe from the actual Rocky Ford region, and sales tanked.
Following is the story of Michael Hirakata, head of sales at Hirakata Farms in Rocky Ford, Colo., and president of the Rocky Ford Growers Association, formed in 2011 to protect the reputation of the now trademarked Rocky Ford Cantaloupe. As he relates, retail buyers understand that when it comes to produce safety, we're all in this together.
Q: What was the reaction among retailers?
A: They stood behind us 100 percent. One buyer told me, "We worked too hard on Rocky Ford Cantaloupe, and we're not going to be the ones to let it go."
Q: What was the outlook for 2012 season?
A: Initially, the outlook was grim, but by February 2012, things changed — it wasn't great yet, but buyers never gave up on the cantaloupe line. They were interested, but only in 20 percent to 30 percent of previous volume. Then we put out some surveys, invited the local news channels to see what we were doing, and interest from buyers grew.
Q: How has the formation of the Rocky Ford Growers Association helped?
A: Growers have one logo. When consumers see that logo, they know it's a Rocky Ford Cantaloupe and that it's a safe, quality product. As growers, we're all sticking up for each other now.
Q: What has changed at Hirakata Farms since the outbreak?
A: We are much more prepared now. For example, we changed the way we wash and cool our melons in our shed operations. We also hired a full-time food safety manager.
We also started connecting with the consumer. We did meet-and-greets at the store level, the local fair and festivals. We did radio and TV news interviews and some cooking shows. At our shed, we did tours for people who wanted to see the operation.
Q: How have your buyer relationships changed?
A: I communicate with them a lot more. I'm not only talking with the area buyer, but I'm also talking with the produce buyer in the division itself. Retailers are also asking what audits we have, if we're going to get GSFI food safety certification, which we are currently in the process of doing. They want to know what we're doing to keep up on food safety.
Q: How did buyers help Rocky Ford Cantaloupe recover?
A: The first Hirakata Farms Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped was to a Kroger/King Soopers chain in Denver, and they allowed us to bring news cameras and shoot footage, as did Safeway. Plus, many of the advertisements retailers did to support us were about how they buy local from Rocky Ford Cantaloupe growers.
Q: What's your advice to industry members, regardless of place in the supply chain?
A: Tell what you've done to upgrade or improve, what you've done in the past, and what you're going to do in the future. Always promote for your products; never promote against anybody.
Lorna Christie is EVP and COO at the Produce Marketing Association.
"When it comes to produce safety, we're all in this together.