The Food Safety Blame Game: Cyclospora, Taylor Farms, and Who Really Pays | Episode 184

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Over 30,000 confirmed Cyclospora cases this summer, and the CDC's own math says the real number could be over a million. So why did it take so long to get straight answers about where it came from?

In this episode of Don't Eat Poop!, Matt and Francine tear into the Cyclospora outbreak tied to Taylor Farms lettuce and Taco Bell, and the industry-wide habit of pointing fingers instead of fixing problems. They break down how the contamination likely happened, why Taylor Farms' size makes it nearly impossible to avoid its product, and what Roger Hancock's crisis-communication playbook gets right.

Spoiler alert: the companies that survive an outbreak aren't the ones that dodge blame, they're the ones that communicate fast and own it.

In this episode:

💩 00:00:00 The Food Safety Blame Game

💩 00:08:51 The Real Cyclospora Outbreak Numbers

💩 00:11:10 How Cyclospora Likely Got Onto The Lettuce

💩 00:13:52 Taylor Farms, Private Label Confusion, And Dodging Blame

💩 00:17:37 Article: What Restaurants Can Learn From The Lettuce Recall

💩 00:21:43 Supply Chain Consolidation And "Too Big To Fail"

💩 00:26:02 Restaurant Recall Plan: Communicate Quickly And Clearly, Or Lose Consumer Trust

💩 00:30:49 Taco Bell Vs. Taylor Farms: A Case Study In Doing It Right

💩 00:33:36 Why Mock Recalls Fall Apart Under Pressure

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

What Restaurants Can Learn From the Lettuce Recall:  https://www.fsrmagazine.com/feature/what-restaurants-can-learn-from-the-lettuce-recall/ 

Episodes with Roger Hancock:

• Creating a Recall-Ready Food Safety Industry | Episode 42
• All Recalls Are Not the Same, But Here’s How You Can Be Ready For When One Comes with Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink | Episode 114
• How the FDA Wants YOU to Fix Food Safety Recalls with Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink | Episode 126

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“Today's topic is the food safety blame game, and the industry has been doing this probably since its inception.” – Matt Regusci

“Can we just stop arguing about whose fault it was and try to figure it out?” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

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