"Have the E. coli stories made you concerned about the food you eat?"
(asked at the Kirkland Library on 11-14-96; published in the EJ on 11-17-96)

Janna Benefield, College senior, Kirkland


"Yes, they have. I actually had three Odwalla apple juice drinks about two weeks before they were talking about all the cases. If something would've happened, I would've gotten sick! I was worried, but the epidemiologists do catch these things. I think I'll just drink pasteurized juice from now on. I don't think I'll go to a Jack-in-the-Box again, either, because even though it's probably the safest place now, it's on your mind."

Anthony Force, Medical equipment service engineer, Kirkland


"Yes. We're a lot more careful washing fruit and washing knives when we're cutting food in the kitchen -- we're paying a lot more attention to sterilization and cleaning knives and dishes and things like that. And I'll look for pasteurized juices instead of natural juices right now."

Rev. Barbara D. Morgan, Unitarian Universalist minister, Seattle


"Not particularly. But I was concerned to see a parent of a child pointing to an Odwalla bottle and spelling out "Odwalla" and saying "Don't drink that if anybody gives it to you. It's poison." It sent shivers down my spine, like when people had to caution their children about apples on Halloween. But I'm sure they've changed the way they process it -- 'reformulating' their juices. I'm glad I don't have small children and have to make that decision. I raised my children on unpasteurized apple juice."

Tim Coyne, Sales rep, Bothell


"Well, I don't think so. I think we have a very good system in this country for protecting the public health. The problem with Odwalla was very unfortunate but I don't think they were that negligent, from what I've read. However, it does point out that you have to use common sense with what you eat and drink. When their next product comes out, I'll look for the word "Pasteurized" in big letters."

Becky Schlager, Nursing student, Bellevue


"My answer to that would be slightly but not really. I cook a lot at home and so I'm not too concerned about the types of food you eat when you eat out. I have more control over the preparation. Although I did have Odwalla the weekend prior to the outbreak -- some "SeaMonster" which apparently was taken off the shelf. I probably would drink it now after looking at the label and seeing that it did not contain apple juice until they decide to do something different. It comes down to the fact that adults have stronger immune systems. Children, AIDS patients and the elderly have to watch things a little bit more."

Mark Gross, Disc jockey, Kirkland


"Definitely. It's gone so far as to even make my wife and I more aware of safety when we're preparing food. We even went to the Health Department in Bellevue to get free pamphlets on the proper ways to handle food because we weren't sure if we were quite up to par. Myself and most of my friends thought the Odwalla products were just great, but we haven't had any since then. That poor company -- they're probably shot. But I definitely think it was their fault. I can't think of anywhere else to put the blame."

© 1996 by the Bellevue, WA-based Eastside Journal (née Journal American) newspaper.

If you'd like to comment on this Q, you can e-mail EJ Editorial Page Editor Craig Groshart by clicking here. Please be sure to include the following in your message:

1. The title you see at the top of this page.
2. The question to which you're responding(!).
3. Your name, home (aka snail mail) address and daytime phone number.

Thanks for stopping by and reading "The water cooler"!