REMEMBER Several Years Ago When a Rumor Had It That FOOD LION
Routinely BLEACHED Its MEAT? To Make it Look Okay, Not Spoiled?




Whether or not the rumor had any factual basis, it seemed to dampen
Food Lion's meat sales. It's possible the company changed most if
not all its stores to "BLOOM" just to get the Food Lion image out of
the public eye.

Well now Whole Foods might have its own lingering "meat problem." Is
a name change in the works?

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"Grocer Works to Repair Its Image"

"Whole Foods Tightens Inspection Rules After Beef Recall"

By Ylan Q. Mui and Annys Shin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 12, 2008; D01



Whole Foods said yesterday that it is inspecting all shipments of meat
and tightening its guidelines for suppliers following last week's
recall of two months' worth of ground beef that potentially was
contaminated with E. coli.

The moves were part of the company's efforts to restore confidence in
its products. The upscale grocer rose from a single store in Austin to
a $6.6 billion company over the past three decades by betting on a
singular corporate philosophy and business strategy: Shoppers are
willing to pay more for natural and organic products. And with those
high prices come high expectations.

"We're quite upset as well. This is not how we have our protocol set
up with our producers," said Margaret Wittenberg, Whole Foods global
vice president for quality standards. "We already have very tight
standards."

Whole Foods recalled ground beef on Friday that was sold between June
2 and August 6 after seven people in Massachusetts and two in
Pennsylvania who shopped at its stores were infected by E. coli.
Wittenberg said employees at distribution centers are now checking
labels on all meat shipments to insure that it comes from approved
processors. It is also requiring processors to inspect each box of
shipped meat for contaminants, a previously unwritten expectation, the
company said.

The recalled meat was linked to Omaha meatpacker Nebraska Beef, which
has recalled 6.5 million pounds of meat since July and has a long
history of safety, health and labor violations. Whole Foods
spokeswoman Libba Letton said one of its suppliers, Coleman Natural
Beef, was seeking to work with Nebraska Beef following its sale to
Meyer Natural Angus in June.

Whole Foods said it had received assurances that none of its meat had
been processed by Nebraska Beef. One of Whole Foods' buyers had
visited Nebraska Beef's facilities, but the processor had not been
approved when the recall occurred last week. Meyer Natural Angus did
not return phone calls yesterday.

"They're kind of a victim of their own success," Mark Kastel, co-
founder of the Cornucopia Institute, which promotes sustainable and
organic agriculture, said of Whole Foods.

"They have to deal with large-scale suppliers. The infrastructure of
that supply mechanism has the same potential for contamination as
conventional meat."

Whole Foods sets a high bar, positioning itself as more socially
conscious than its competitors. It caps top executives' pay at 19
times the average worker pay while chief executive John Mackey gets
just $1 a year. It has been a leader in retailers' green movement,
recently tightening its policies on farmed seafood, for example. Its
hormone-free meats, antibiotic-free seafood and pesticide-free produce
attract throngs of affluent shoppers.

But those customers are often demanding. The company has been
criticized for not stocking only organic produce and even for carrying
sugar on its shelves. Mackey has famously defended the company as
Whole Foods -- not holy foods.

"This is a big blow to their reputation, obviously," said Gene
Grabowski, chair of the crisis and litigation practice at Levick
Strategic Communications. "We tend to look at Whole Foods not only as
more nutritious but also safer, and we're willing to pay a premium for
that."

Whole Foods' Letton said the recalled beef was labeled as natural,
which means it is free of artificial flavors and coloring but does not
meet the more rigorous U.S. Department of Agriculture standards for
organic. The company additionally prohibits meat suppliers from using
growth hormones or antibiotics, among other requirements.

Although the company's stock dipped slightly Friday, yesterday it
rebounded, rising 5.8 percent to $19.73.

Organic and conventional meat products are often processed in the same
facility. USDA regulations stipulate that steps must be taken to
prevent the commingling of organic and conventional product such as
cleaning equipment.

"Organic doesn't address food safety or nutrition," said Joan
Schaffer, spokeswoman for USDA's National Organic Program.

Ronnie Cummins, national director of the advocacy group Organic
Consumers Association, said he is not overly concerned by the Whole
Foods recall because it was an isolated incident. The company said it
believes this is its first ground beef recall due to E.coli.

"I must say I'm not surprised to see a single incident," Cummins said.
"If it became a regular occurrence like it is with conventional beef,
I think we'd be extremely concerned."

Grabowski, who has handled public relations during large recalls for
other companies, said Whole Foods must be transparent with its
customers in order to repair its image but also suggested that
shoppers temper their expectations.

"From time to time, no matter what you do, there will be some
incidents that arise," Grabowski said. "We do not live in a risk-free
world."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...081102934.html