Outbreak: Local farmers resold berries as their own

Outbreak: Local farmers resold berries as their own
Natural Resource News Note:

The latest in the investigation of the Washington County E. Coli outbreak shows that tainted berries may have involved illegal reselling of berries. Food safety officials have been working the trail which went from Jaquith Strawberry Farms to buyers and then farmers markets and then to consumers.

Experts believe this illegal reselling of produce under the final seller’s name is an illegal practice that occurs more often than people suspect. They also believe that deer waste may have tainted the original strawberries that caused the E. coli outbreak.

Read the full article here.

Below is the official alert form the Oregon Strawberry Commission on what to avoid.

OREGON PUBLIC HEALTH CAUTIONED CONSUMERS to discard any fresh strawberries that may be from Jaquith Strawberry Farm, 23135 SW Jaquith Road in Newberg due to an e.Coli outbreak. Berries, which were not identified as Jaquith’s, were sold at roadside stands and at farmers markets.
These strawberries are no longer on the market and the producer is no longer selling strawberries this season.
If you don’t know which farm grew fresh berries that you froze, please throw them out.
All Oregon strawberries currently being sold are safe. Not affected by this outbreak:
• Berries other than strawberries.
• Strawberries sold since Aug. 1.
• Strawberries sold south of Marion County or east of Multnomah County.
• Strawberries sold in supermarkets.
• Strawberries picked at Jaquith Strawberry Farm’s U-pick field.
We express deep concern for those affected by the outbreak.

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