Irony-Rich

There are many curious facets in the “veggie libel” case of Texas cattlemen against Oprah Winfrey. But let us pause for a moment in their consideration to remember that in 1996, it was the Texas Department of Health that announced--wrongly--that California strawberries were the culprit in an outbreak of the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora. Said announcement sparked a firestorm of bad publicity that ended up costing California farmers between $20 million and $40 million--far more than the $7 million claimed by the Oprah-fied ranchers.

Asked whether she appreciated the irony in the case, the normally straight-faced Teresa Thorne, communications director for the California Strawberry Advisory Board, took a long pause, audibly repressing a giggle, before getting back to business.

“Although the Texas Department of Health did make a very serious error, we do not believe that they acted in any way maliciously,” she said. “We do think there are cases, especially when you’re dealing with perishable commodities, that you shouldn’t be able to make statements that endanger a farmer’s business without having the scientific facts straight.”