According to the FDA, for the outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul sickening 56 – not reported how many states, hospitalizations or deaths (ref #1353) – linked to mango, FDA’s investigation has closed. Based on CDC’s epidemiological investigation, ill people reported eating mangoes before becoming sick. CDC, FDA, and state and local partners conducted epidemiologic and traceback investigations and confirmed mangoes as the source of this outbreak. At the time investigators had enough information to confirm mangoes as the source, the outbreak was over, and the mangoes were past shelf life and not available for sale. This outbreak is over, and there is no ongoing risk to public health.

Honestly, I get it. If the FDA, CDC and local and state health authorities cannot identify a product that caused an outbreak and/or identify a specific chain of supply of the tainted product, I do not have an issue with them withholding that information.

However, if public health can identify a product and the supply chain, the public should be told even if “the product is past its shelf life and not available for sale.” Setting aside the novel notion of “radical transparency,” consumers should know whose mango sent them or their kid to the hospital. Perhaps if the public knew and stopped buying the product – or, held them accountable (yes, lawsuits) – then that the producer might stop producing or importing product that was tainted?

Hmm, that is called knowledge and the free market. Again, so much for “Radical Transparency.”