According to The Packer, which writes about produce, “recent statements in national media about so-called consumer recall fatigue spurred discussion in the fresh produce and food safety communities, with leaders suggesting consumer complacency is the more prevalent problem.”

So are dangerous microorganisms that consumers have little hope of removing on fresh produce the fault of consumers, not farmers?

Richard Raymond, USDA undersecretary for food safety from 2005-09 told The Packer, “Complacency is a more accurate description of what’s going on with consumers.”

Produce food safety starts on the farm.