Case of Nutritional FoodsINTRODUCTIONMany companies have issues that have need of public relations assistance at one time or another. Yet comparatively few companies have strategies in place for handling these eventualities, and many companies experience considerably more harm than might otherwise be necessary because they have not planned for the crisis. When the crisis is of an ethical nature, the importance of building and maintaining an ethical work environment becomes apparent. Certain products are particularly susceptible to a rapid loss of public trust due to their nature, food products are unquestionably among these. Consumers expect their food to be safe, and can be hesitant to return to a food manufacturer once a problem has been discovered and traced to that manufacturer. This is the situation that faces Nutritional Foods, and the steps that the company takes in the aftermath of a possible poisoning case could determine the success of the companys future.
CASE OVERVIEWNutritional Foods is facing perhaps the most difficult crisis that a company in its industry can face, the possible poisoning of consumers, including kids. Upon receiving the original reports, the company sent two managers to the two counties where the problems were reported. When two additional problems were reported in two added counties, the company sent managers to those counties, as well. The company sought as much information as possible, including batch numbers of the products in question. At 7pm of the same day that the problems were reported, the company announced that it was pulling all batches of the product in question from retail shelves, this announcement resulted in another 50 calls reporting poisonings, only five of which came from health care professionals. The company also convened its Crisis Action Committee the morning after the first report, and now is considering what additional steps it should take in light of these events.
ETHICAL DILEMMA/ISSUEFred James, CEO of fresh juice producer Nutritional Foods, receives reports of poisonings that might be traced to his companys apple products. Having clear knowledge that handling of nonpasteurized products is critical, product distribution is critical, and continued growth and success are dependent on consumer acceptance, I would have previously developed contingency plans to address the likelihood of dilemmas cropping up in these three areas. If I were the CEO of Nutritional Foods and my company, my companys integrity, and my own integrity were potentially on the line, I would immediately institute a proactive philosophy. Once it became clear that Nutritional Foods products were indeed the culprits in the current poisonings, I would pull all products from store shelves until the investigation determined the exact cause, and I would call a news conference
A growing number of consumers have expressed concern about the high number of children who go to these public health clinics, but not because FDA has been overly responsive to concerns. Parents, the food industry, and physicians all have concerns about the poor outcomes of these programs. However, the FDA is working to address these concerns, including using innovative technologies to reduce the risk of FDA involvement to patients on the autism spectrum; educating people how to use a variety of dietary supplements, such as apple juice, to increase the effectiveness of these, and addressing concerns with FDA-approved child food products and foods as well; and working with stakeholders in the media to work better with the agencies to support and protect the safety of child products.
What can a consumer do to address these concerns? It is helpful to understand the problem with this system in one of the following ways:
1. Consider how other types of consumer health and safety concerns have come to become a national issue.
2. Establish and report the FDA’s role in the handling of nonpasteurized foods to the relevant individual states and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). A thorough investigation of the safety of these foods and other food products, as well as state regulatory agencies, will help inform decisions pertaining to the use of nonpasteurized foods in patients in these states.
3. Recognize where and when products are contaminated. Whether a nonpasteurized product is contaminated within a food preparation means its immediate application is limited, meaning that it cannot be easily handled. We must educate parents from the bottom up about our responsibility and ensure FDA policies and procedures apply to nonpasteurized foods.
A significant number of nonpasteurized products are currently being tested to understand and avoid risks associated with products that cause children with mental retardation. In 2015, CDC reported that more than 9 million children with intellectual development disorders who are exposed to nonpasteurized food (up 38 percent since the initial data was collected) were exposed to nonpasteurized foods that can cause mental retardation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has spent nearly $5 billion of public money on “research-based” food safety initiatives, such as developing effective public health care systems, monitoring outbreaks of nonpasteurized food, and developing and disseminating effective training programs using data from the Food Babe Network of the National Center for Food Safety (NCFRE). The FDA began collecting data on children under 10 at the Children’s Health Research Institute (CHRI) in 1987 and has published data on adult preschoolers who have completed the NIH-funded Autism Center of Excellence (CAO) on their behavior, nutrition, and weight.
We urge state lawmakers, healthcare officials, schools, and patients, to take more proactive actions to educate children about potential health effects of nonpasteurized food. CDC has a commitment to supporting the development of safe, reliable, and safe technologies and guidance in the areas of product safety, dietary supplements, and children’s health. As the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), I will continue to work with our colleagues around the country to promote and implement the CDC’s comprehensive approach, which is consistent with the CDC’s recommendations to improve food safety and quality for all Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a commitment to protect health from the many forms of vaccine-preventable diseases and conditions, such as pertussis vaccines, that may result from nonpasteurized food, in one of our many public health initiatives to ensure that children receive safe, safe, and nutritious