Week 6 EOC: Rock Ford- Restoring the Brand

Rocky Ford is a company that started in 1887 and since then it has specialized in growing cantaloupes, honeydews’, and watermelons.  On September 14th, 2011 the FDA posted a press release on a topic that was terrifying for the Rocky Ford company. "The FDA is warning consumers not to eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms and to throw away recalled product that may still be in their home." (http://www.fda.gov) The government put out a warning for all of those people who the cantaloupes were being distributed to. The states that were the cantaloupes were being distributed were in the following states: IL, TN, WY, CO, TX, UT, KS, MN, NM, PA, NJ, NY, AZ, OK, NE, MO, and NC. The FDA website also said that these products could have been ship or distributed to other states as well. " Last fall's listeria outbreak traced to Jensen Farms in eastern Colorado was blamed for the deaths of 30 people. It infected 146 people in 28 states with one of four strains of the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com) Everyone across the country was very worried because this was a serious problem that was infecting consumers, as well as about 30 people died. The Rocky Ford company had a big problem as a company for what they were serving their consumers. The Rocky Ford company had many issues to deal with, and it was very hard for them to recover, and survive as a company. " The F.D.A. recommends that consumers rinse all raw produce, including cantaloupes, under running water. " (http://www.nytimes.com) I feel that the FDA did more than the actual company. I feel that Rocky Ford should have done something similar like Tylenol did in 1982. They should of taken every cantaloupe out of the stores and made sure they made it publicly known for their consumers to throw away any cantaloupe that they had in their home. I feel that this company should of thought about defending and protecting their brand in a way like the Tylenol company did.

Sources: http://www.rockyfordgrowersassociation.com/
http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/2011-rocky-ford-cantaloupe-listeria-outbreak-lawsuit-update/#.Ugw3iIKaClU
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm271899.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/colorado-cantaloupes-retu_0_n_1670660.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/business/deaths-from-cantaloupe-listeria-rises.html?_r=0