International Specialty Supply

Supplying Sprout Companies Throughout the World

 

ISS

820 East 20th Street

Cookeville, TN 38501 USA

931 526 1106

Bob@sproutnet.com

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Highlighting the Problems

SproutNet

International Specialty Supply

June 5, 2002

Dear Bob,

"Too much highlighting of problems can cause more questions from health authorities who receive copies of your Sproutnet.  I just got my audit done last Friday and the inspection people came with all kinds of stories from 1998 and 1999, which were copies from your site. Of course I cannot care what kind of info they use from the past, but try to keep up the spirits with good success stories."

Dear Grower,

I share the same concerns as you do regarding the balance of helping and hurting the industry.  When SproutNet first came out in 1998 it appeared that the FDA and other health officials were on the verge of completely shutting down the sprouting industry, as they had with un-pasteurized milk and un-pasteurized cheese.  At that time, the officials had good reason.  It was becoming evident that the methods used to produce sprouts had the potential for incubating pathogens to lethal levels.  From its inception, the SproutNet has tried to:

  1. Encourage the FDA and other health officials that the industry is concerned about the problem, and to recognize health officials role in being part of the solution rather than dissolving the industry;
  2. Help stimulate government and corporate researchers to develop methods of reducing the risk of sprout related outbreaks;
  3. Show grocers and the produce industry that the product can be produced in a safe manner and help make them aware of the importance of selecting a well trained, responsible, sprout producer;
  4. Help growers become aware of the severity of the problem and stimulating them to take corrective action;
  5. Help educate growers on how to grow safer sprouts;
  6. Help educate the seed industry on how to provide safer seed to sprout growers;
  7. Level the playing field for sprout growers by helping educate health inspectors on what it takes to produce safe sprouts;

In short, the objective has been to help keep the industry around long enough for industry members to find out what the problem is, learn how to alleviate it, and produce safe sprouts. 

By the way, in the computer age it is not necessary to send everyone the same information.  Our computer knows who are growers, customers, researchers, grocers, inspectors, vendors, seed suppliers, news media, etc.  Grocers don't necessarily see all the articles sprout growers do.  Information that gives our customers a competitive advantage goes to ISS customers.  The one thing we share with everyone is information that will help safeguard the public.