Yourlawyer.com (Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella Outbreak News)

Warrant Issued for Company That Refused Salmonella Recall

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Late last month we wrote about how Westco Fruit and Nuts was not cooperating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding potentially salmonella-tainted peanuts linked to the massive outbreak that originated with the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Now, at the request of the FDA, U.S. Marshals executed an inspection warren at Westco Fruit and Nuts, Inc. (Westco/Westcott) in Irvington, New Jersey.

Westco/Westcott did not provide access to distribution documents and declined to recall products despite an FDA request. The FDA explained that regulated companies must—by law—grant FDA entry for inspection and provide access to distribution records; however, the FDA does not have authority to compel companies to recall food products.

Westco/Westcott produces and distributes peanuts and peanut products and received such products from PCA, the company linked to the historic salmonella contamination that sickened nearly 700, was linked to nine deaths, and resulted in thousands of recalls. Despite PCA's effort to remove the affected product from the market and FDA's intervention, Westco/Westcott refused to recall its products, said the FDA.

"FDA's enforcement action against Westco Fruit and Nuts is an appropriate step toward removing potentially harmful products from the marketplace, especially when, as in this case, a company is unwilling to share information FDA needs to ensure food safety," said Michael Chappell, the FDA's acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "The FDA uses all appropriate legal means necessary to obtain information and fully investigate firms or individuals who put the health of consumers at risk."

On March 23, 2009, the FDA formally requested Westco/Westcott to initiate a recall of all of its products containing peanuts from PCA because those products may be contaminated with salmonella. Three days later, on March 26, the FDA issued a formal notice to Westco/Westcott requesting access to certain records concerning the distribution of PCA peanut containing products. The company declined both requests.

Meanwhile, said the FDA, between November 19 and December 30, 2008, Westco/Westcott received three shipments of Oil Roasted Salted Redskin Jumbo Peanuts from PCA's Georgia facility. Westco/Westcott sold these peanuts in various size/packaging configurations and also used them as an ingredient in a variety of mixed nut products and trail mix produced between November 19, 2008 and early February 2009, said the FDA. On February 9, 2009, New Jersey officials executed an embargo action at Westco/Westcott's distribution facility to prevent the company from further distributing potentially contaminated peanuts or peanut-derived products in the company's inventory. It is unknown how many are in possession of potentially contaminated Westco/Westcott products.

In late March, and again today, the FDA urged, and is urging consumers to check their homes for peanut-derived products made or distributed by Westco/Westcott. For those consumers who find Westco/Westcott products, they should dispose of the peanuts in a safe manner by placing them in a plastic bag, sealing the bag properly, and placing it in a trash bin; they should wash their hands after handling. Salmonella is bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Leaky Roof Eyed in Salmonella Outbreak

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The historic salmonella outbreak linked to Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which has sickened and hospitalized hundreds; was linked to nine deaths; prompted thousands of food recall; and resulted in governmental investigations, bankruptcies, and dozens of lawsuits, might all have originated with a leaky roof.

PCA has been cited for horrendous sanitary conditions that include all manner of vermin and associated carcasses and excrement, as well as a leaking roof. The Associated Press (AP) also recently reported that the House Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee just released information revealing that PCA hired the private inspectors who failed to cite PCA for these disgusting conditions.

Now, it seems that the leaky roof might have been the origin of an outbreak so large that it spanned most of the United States and entered Canada. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) reported that this past August, PCA spent $60,000 on roof repairs, citing a recent bankruptcy testimony hearing.

A former PCA sanitation worker, Anne Bristow, told the AJC that the leak was significant and copious, saying that PCA workers had to move products around to keep them from becoming wet. “I don’t mean a leak here and a leak there,” she said. “I mean it rained in there.”

Salmonella bacteria need moisture to survive, and bird and rodent excrement are known salmonella sources. Some experts believe that rain and a leaky roof provided the perfect combination for water to either allow salmonella in the plant to flourish or to bring salmonella into the plant, or both, reported the AJC.

Consumer Union’s Michael Hansen, a senior scientist with the advocacy group said, regarding the leaky roof, “That is a likely culprit for the problem,” explaining that rain could have enabled salmonella-tainted bird excrement to enter the plant from the roof, contaminating food products and machinery, said the AJC. Michael Doyle, director of the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety, said, “Allowing water to get into a dry [processing] environment would be like putting gas on a fire,” quoted the AJC.

Despite repairs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) documented water stains and streaks and a large gap—two-feet by a half-inch—in the roof this January, said the AJC. Also, it said, the Blakely plant documented roof problems as far back as early 2007. At that time, said the AJC, a state inspection indicated a roof leak over a cooler. “Anytime you’ve got rain from a flat surface that collects contaminants—anytime that falls on food product—you’ve got risk,” said Oscar Garrison, the assistant commissioner, reported AJC. Officials are looking at other sources, including peanut shellers and peanut farmers, which operate outside of PCA locations, said the AJC.

Of note, a similar problem might have been to blame for another large outbreak involving a ConAgra peanut butter plant linked to 400 illnesses in 2006-2007, said AJC, pointing to a faulty sprinkler or leaky roof following a 2006 rainstorm, or both, according to ConAgra. The firm explained that water problems likely triggered “dormant levels of salmonella.” The ConAgra outbreak took place two years ago and critics argue that PCA should have learned from the well-publicized incident.

Westco Fruit and Nuts Not Cooperating with Salmonella Peanut Recall

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Westco Fruit and Nuts is not cooperating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding potentially Salmonella-tainted peanuts linked to the massive outbreak that originated with the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA).

Because of Westco/Westcott’s refusal to issue a recall, the FDA has now issued a warning to consumers not to ingest any peanuts or peanut-derived products sold by Westco Fruit and Nuts Inc. (Westco/Westcott) of Irvington, New Jersey due to possible Salmonella contamination. The FDA said that peanuts in Westco/Westcott products might have been distributed by the PCA, which recalled its peanuts because of concerns about Salmonella Typhimurium. ABC News reported that the FDA warned Westco/Westcott to comply with its request for a recall or face a government raid and pointed out that the FDA does not currently have the authority to issue recalls.

Yesterday, the FDA formally requested Westco/Westcott to voluntarily recall all products containing peanuts from PCA because of the likelihood of Salmonella contamination. FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified products from PCA's Blakely, Georgia, facility as a source of the current Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak, which led to PCA's recall of the peanuts. Between November 19 and December 30, 2008, Westco/Westcott received three shipments of Oil Roasted Salted Redskin Jumbo Peanuts from PCA's Blakely facility. Westco/Westcott then sold these potentially Salmonella-contaminated peanuts in various size/package configurations and also used them as an ingredient in a variety of mixed nut products and trail mix produced between November 19, 2008, and mid-February 2009.

The FDA urges consumers to check whether they have peanut-derived products made by or distributed by Westco/Westcott in their homes. For those consumers who do, they should dispose of the peanuts in a safe manner by placing them in a plastic bag with bleach, sealing the bag properly, and placing the bag in a trash bin; they should then immediately wash their hands after handling. As of mid-March, 691 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium in 46 states and Canada; the outbreak has been linked to nine deaths. Salmonella is an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

ABC News spoke with Westco/Westcott owner, Jacob Moradi, who claims his products are safe and that the FDA’s recommended recall could run his company into the ground. “They are asking me to commit suicide based on presumption. They have shown no proof. We have begged them…. They have no proof that anyone got sick from eating whole redskin peanuts roasted in oil.” Moradi continues to reject the FDA’s requests and refuses to recall his products and to provide a client list to the FDA. But, a federal official said Moradi “ran away and hid” when government inspectors arrived at his plant, ABC News reported. “I was scared of them,” Moradi told ABC News.

Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea—which may be bloody—nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, e.g., infected aneurysms, endocarditis, and arthritis.

Private Food Inspections Faulted in Peanut Corp. Salmonella Debacle

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

As the food industry continues to grapple with the fallout from the historic peanut salmonella outbreak that has sickened and hospitalized hundreds, was linked to the deaths of nine, resulted in thousands of food recalls, and spurred governmental investigations and dozens of lawsuits, the Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the industry’s private inspection system was, in part, to blame.

The Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) was responsible for the salmonella outbreak that spanned most of the United States and at least one Canadian province. The House Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee just released information revealing that PCA hired the private inspectors who failed to cite the company's facilities for a wide variety of ongoing and horrendous sanitary problems, said the AP. "There is an obvious and inherent conflict of interest when an auditor works for the same supplier it is evaluating," said Representative Bart Stupak (Democrat-Michigan), chairman of the subcommittee, calling it, said the AP, a "cozy relationship."

The Wall Street Journal said the inspection was conducted by AIB International Inc., a PCA-hired firm, noting that last December, AIB provided the Blakely, Georgia PCA plant manager advance email notice of the inspection, which garnered a “superior” rating. It was at this plant that federal investigators found mold and dead rodents, said the Journal. It was also at this plant that salmonella was first discovered, said the AP. The AP also explained that federal law does not mandate food companies pay for supplier inspections; labs and inspectors are also not mandated to advise the government of problems that are discovered in such inspections.

And, although AIB certified the plant as superior, Nestle USA, said the AP, conducted its own inspection and concluded, quoted Representative Henry Waxman (Democrat-California) that "They found that the place was filthy." A follow-up audit found significant problems, including pest control issues such as an astounding 50 rodent and one pigeon carcass, said the AP, which added that the audit noted that the plant did not have the required pathogen-monitoring plan. The Journal noted that the follow-up audit also found rodent droppings, dead flour beetles, and other insects.

Nestle said it would not use the plant for peanut products needed for its drumstick ice cream cones, said the AP, but other companies claimed they could not know that PCA was covering up a hideous mess of pathogens, feces, and carcasses. Kellogg Co. chief executive David Mackay told the committee, "I think we did everything we could, quoted the Journal. “The issue was that (Peanut Corp.) acted in a dishonest and unethical way," quoted the AP. Waxman disagreed, "I think Kellogg is sloppy … I think this resulted in a tragedy that could have been prevented," reported the Journal.

But officials and the current administration disagree, saying that the problem is much bigger than one company, reported the AP, which said that legislation has been introduced in Congress to give food safety responsibilities to a new agency that will also be provided with increased funding and legal options, effectively taking responsibility away from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and agency that has long been criticized for negligence, corruption, and a failure to protect consumers.

Peanut Corp. Salmonella Toll Mounts

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Salmonella-tainted peanut products continue to sicken people across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of ill in the Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) outbreak has grown to 683. Illnesses are being reported in 46 states, and at lease one person in Canada has also become sick. The death toll from the salmonella outbreak stands at nine.

Half of those infected are under age 16, while more than one in four cases is under age 5. Most of the reported illnesses have been linked to two brands of peanut butter crackers -- Kellogg's Austin and Keebler brand peanut butter crackers.

The most recent illnesses occurred just weeks ago, with the last reported on Feb. 13, the CDC said. This indicates that foods made with salmonella-contaminated PCA ingredients are still in circulation. As such, the CDC is warning consumers to check their homes for potentially dangerous products.

The list of recalled foods made with PCA products has also grown, and has now surpassed 3,500. Products that carry a salmonella risk continue to be recalled on a daily basis. A full list of recalled products is being maintained by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

There is also more evidence emerging that oversight of the PCA Georgia plant at the center of the outbreak had been lax, at best. According to the Atlanta Constitution Journal, the Blakely, Georgia facility was inspected by the state health department on 184 occasions since 2006. But 114 of those inspections lasted less than two hours. Not surprisingly, none of these inspections found evidence of mold, cockroaches and salmonella contamination that was uncovered by the FDA when it investigated the plant in January.

As we've previously reported, a second PCA plant in Texas - which was closed because of deplorable conditions last month - had never been properly licensed. Yet, a state inspector who visited the plant on three occasions since 2005 had actually indicated in his reports that the facility was licensed correctly.

Finally, Reuters is reporting that during testimony yesterday before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business, a witness told lawmakers that the PCA debacle could cost the peanut industry as much as $1 billion.

"We are dealing with a situation of historic proportions," said Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission. "Rebuilding in the peanut industry cannot fully begin until the outbreak is over and the recall is complete."

Another witness, Diane Austin, vice president of Perry's Ice Cream, told the subcommittee that her family-run operation is still trying to determine the cost of its PCA-related recalls, Reuters said.

"We do not yet have a complete accounting of the financial losses that Perry's will face," said Austin. "It will surely be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more."

Austin said Perry's Ice Cream has so far had to recall 170 tons of product and has spent 2,100 hours on the recall, Reuters said.

FDA Issues Salmonella Guidelines for Peanuts

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In the midst of the massive salmonella outbreak that sickened 683 people and was linked to the deaths of nine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued salmonella guidelines for peanuts and may also seize products contaminated with the dangerous and sometimes deadly pathogen, said Reuters. The new FDA safety guidelines were issued yesterday to those companies using peanut products.

In January, the salmonella outbreak was traced to a Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) plant in Blakely, Georgia, resulting in its closure and subsequent bankruptcy. FDA inspections revealed that PCA knowingly shipped salmonella-tainted products from that plant and emails revealed at a Congressional hearing found that PCA owner Stewart Parnell had repeatedly urged his employees to do so.

The guidelines, which relate to the PCA salmonella outbreak, note that while salmonella is sensitive to heat, the heat-sensitive pathogen becomes heat-resistant when in high-fat environments, such as what exists in peanut butter, reported Reuters.

Reuters explained that when peanuts are roasted improperly and then are used to make peanut butter or paste, salmonella bacteria thrive, especially if that contaminated product is in fat in a product such as ice cream, according to the FDA. Also, baking might not kill the pathogen because of lowered or inconsistent temperatures. Now, the FDA guidelines are strongly suggesting that food manufacturers only purchase peanut products from “suppliers with validated processes in place to adequately reduce the presence of Salmonella species," said Reuters. The FDA also suggested those companies conduct studies to determine if salmonella exists in their products.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday that the outbreak has spanned 46 states, said Reuters, and resulted in the recall of 3,235 products. Illnesses continue to come in, mostly from people who ate recalled peanut butter crackers.

Meanwhile, PCA plant inspections unearthed revolting conditions, including—at the Texas plant—dead rodents, rodent excrement, and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area that were being blown into the production area. An inspection of its Georgia plant—which was cited for mold, roaches, and a leaking roof—revealed that PCA shipped salmonella-tainted peanuts at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008; some products were shipped before a second round of testing was conducted.

A third facility was found to have flaking paint and evidence of rodents in 2007 and 2008. PCA promised to fix the problems, reported the AP in an earlier article; however, when inspectors returned in 2008 to ensure this was done, they found two dead mice in traps in a warehouse, as well as an open door, and a 32-inch-wide gap in strip curtains “completely exposed to the entrance of pests,” said the AP. Mold was also found on the outside of 43 totes of blanched peanuts.

Now, hundreds of companies are facing financial and legal problems. These include Kellogg, which is named in at least six lawsuits; Forward Foods, which filed for bankruptcy after being forced to recall 75 percent of its products; and Scotts, which is suing its supplier over claims it lied about peanut meal used in wild bird seed, which originated at PCA. Scotts said the deception caused it “substantial damages” and “significant” injury to its brand.

Use of Private Inspectors Tied to Peanut Corp. Illnesses, Other Food Poisoning Outbreaks

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Many food firms hire private companies to conduct safety inspections of their manufacturing plants. But according to The New York Times, such private inspections may have contributed to the recent Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) salmonella outbreak.

Salmonella-tainted peanut products made by PCA have sickened 677 people and been implicated in 9 deaths across the U.S. In January, the salmonella outbreak was traced to PCA’s plant in Blakely, Georgia, resulting in its closure. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) inspections there found that the company knowingly shipped products from that plant that had tested positive for salmonella. Emails revealed at a Congressional hearing showed that PCA owner Stewart Parnell had repeatedly urged his employees to do so.

In February, Texas health officials closed a PCA plant in Plainview after finding horrible conditions there, including dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area. Apparently, the plant’s air handling system was pulling debris from the infested crawl space into production areas.

Because PCA made peanut paste, peanut butter and other ingredients for 85 other firms - including The Kellogg Company and General Mills - hundreds of recalls have been issued. PCA was forced to declare bankruptcy, and federal officials are conducting a criminal probe of the company.

According to The New York Times, when a company like Kellogg outsources the manufacturing of ingredients, it will often hire a private inspection firm to check out the contractor's plant to make sure its employing proper food safety procedures. In fact, an inspector from such a firm visited the PCA Georgia plant on behalf of Kellogg.

But according to The New York Times, a couple factors hindered that inspector's job. For one thing, PCA knew in advance when the inspector would be arriving. So the company could prepare for the visit. The inspector also had less than a day to look over the plant, the Times said.

The Times also reports that the inspector was a specialist in fresh produce, and was not aware that the peanuts are especially vulnerable to salmonella contamination. Not that it would have mattered - the inspector was not even required to test for the bacteria.

All of these factors played a role in the inspector giving the PCA Georgia plant a "superior" rating last March. Less than a year later, the FDA would find a variety of safety violations at that facility, and would discover that it was infested with several types of salmonella bacteria.

Unfortunately, PCA is far from the only food firm subjected to inadequate inspections. As the Times points out, the FDA simply does not have the manpower to oversee every food processor in the country. So the agency actually relies on private firms to police the U.S. food supply.

But recent food poisoning out breaks prove this system is failing. According to The New York Times, private auditors failed to turn up serious problems at food processing facilities linked to some of the biggest food poisoning outbreaks in recent years.

Yet rather trying to fix this system, the FDA is seeking to expand it. According to The New York Times, the agency wants to allow private auditors to inspect the more than 200,000 foreign facilities that ship food to the U.S.

Food Makers Want Safety Reform

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

U.S. Legislation meant to prevent tainted foods from entering the American food supply is receiving support from three unlikely places: General Mills, Inc., Kraft Foods Inc., and Kellogg Company, reports Bloomberg News. In the past, the three firms were focused on inspections, not prevention; however, in the face of recent, well-publicized food contamination scandals, tighter government controls are becoming more and more welcome. And necessary.

Although the three were strong opponents to increased food safety regulation in the past, they have shifted gears and now support a bill just introduced by Dick Durbin (Illinois-Democrat) and Judd Gregg (New Hampshire-Republican) into the Senate, said Bloomberg. The bill—the Food Safety Modernization Act—would provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) additional food recall authority and would mandate manufacturers develop food safety plans to be available to the FDA upon request and force regulations on produce at greatest risk for causing and carrying food borne illness, said Bloomberg.

Scott Faber, vice president of federal affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association called the change a “philosophical shift,” reported Bloomberg, saying the firms are hoping to prevent and detect contamination. Sanford Miller, senior fellow at University of Maryland’s Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition explained, said Bloomberg that, “The food industry has been notorious in wanting to self-regulate…. What’s happening now is a question of survival. The more the public becomes concerned about, of all things, their food supply, particularly for their children, the more there will be demand for regulation of the industry.”

Take, for instance, the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) and the massive peanut salmonella contamination that sickened over 600, was linked to nine deaths, and unearthed revolting plant conditions, mold on blanched peanuts, dead rodents, rodent excrement, bird feathers, roaches, leaks, and flaking paint. Investigations revealed PCA shipped salmonella-tainted peanuts at least a dozen times in two years.

Now, hundreds of companies are facing financial and legal problems, including Kellogg, which is named in at least six lawsuits and which recalled Austin, Keebler, Famous Amos, and Special K products, spending $34 million in 2008; officials expect the total to top at least twice that amount, said the Washington Post in a prior piece.

Bloomberg pointed out that the pending legislation does not ensure safety plans are adequate and enforced, according to Tony Corbo, a lobbyist for Washington-based Food & Water Watch. Corbo suggests the FDA ensure such plans protect the public. “There has to be some sort of check to make sure those plans are valid,” he said, quoted Bloomberg.

Kraft supports the proposed FDA recall power, as does General Mills which hopes the increased power will ensure contaminated foods are removed from store shelves more expeditiously, said Bloomberg. “We expect reform will encompass both greater authority and greater capacity to strengthen our overall ability to prevent and respond to food safety issues nationally,” said General Mills spokeswoman Kirstie Foster, according to Bloomberg.

The bill also has a requirement that mandates food importers document how overseas suppliers are overseen and are looking to have the government regulate produce producers in the same way food and meat processors are regulated.

Inspector Didn't Report Texas Salmonella Plant for Lacking License

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Not only did a Texas agriculture inspector fail to note that Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) was not operating with a state license to process organic products, the inspector indicated the unlicensed plant was licensed, the Associated Press (AP) is reporting. PCA is at the heart of the massive salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds and is linked to at least nine deaths nationwide.

It seems the inspector visited the Texas plant on no less than three occasions, said the AP and that had the inspector truthfully indicated the plant failed to obtain necessary licensing, the state health department would have been alerted; with no record of the plant, inspectors were not sent.

PCA plant inspections unearthed revolting conditions, including dead rodents, rodent excrement, and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area in the Texas plant. Another inspection of its Georgia plant — which wascited for mold, roaches, and a leaking roof—revealed that PCA shipped salmonella-tainted peanuts at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008; some products were shipped before a second round of testing was conducted.

A third facility was found to have flaking paint and evidence of rodents in 2007 and 2008. PCA promised to fix the problems, reported the AP in an earlier article; however, when inspectors returned in 2008 to ensure this was done, they found two dead mice in traps in a warehouse, as well as an open door, and a 32-inch-wide gap in strip curtains “completely exposed to the entrance of pests,” said the AP. Mold was also found on the outside of 43 totes of blanched peanuts.

Now, hundreds of companies are facing financial and legal problems. These include Kellogg, which is named in at least six lawsuits; Forward Foods, which filed for bankruptcy after being forced to recall 75 percent of its products; and Scotts, which is suing its supplier over claims it lied about peanut meal used in wild bird seed, which originated at PCA. Scotts said the deception caused it "substantial damages" and "significant" injury to its brand.

Meanwhile, Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) spokesman Bryan Black said that had the lack of license at the Texas plant been properly reported, the department would have denied PCA organic certification and notified the Department of State Health Services, said the AP. Gaylon Amonett, the inspector involved, was fired the day after state health officials ordered the recall.

Amonett worked for the TDA for 22 years and admitted to checking “yes” on 2005, 2006, and 2008 work sheets for the question asking if PCA was in possession of records indicating compliance with health codes, said the AP. Amonett claims he checked “yes” because the plant manager advised him that such paperwork was completed and in the possession of PCA officials, reported the AP. Amonett continued in this fashion because he simply believed the license had been granted. Amonett received a merit raise on January 1, just six weeks before his termination, the AP said.

"We trust our inspectors to do their jobs," Black told the AP "Any time they do not follow the protocol, it is inexcusable."

The AP also reported that Jack McCasland, environmental inspector for the Plainview-Hale County Health Department, said PCA officials led him to believe the licensing process was under way when he visited PCA’s facility prior to its opening, saying, “To be honest, I never really thought to follow up on it. It just never occurred to me that they wouldn't be (licensed)."

To receive organic certification, processors must meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards and undergo monitoring by a USDA-accredited agency, said the AP; the TDA has been such an agency since 2002. Had the Plainview plant not needed such certification, the TDA would not have been required to inspect it, added the AP.

More Peanut Corp. Salmonella Cases Reported

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0800

While the number of salmonella cases linked to tainted Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) products reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has dropped off slightly, the outbreak is still continuing. So far, 677 people have been sickened and nine have died in the outbreak. Recalls involving products made with tainted-PCA products have exceeded 2,800.

In January, the salmonella outbreak was traced to PCA’s plant in Blakely, Georgia, resulting in its closure. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) inspections there found that the company knowingly shipped products from that plant that had tested positive for salmonella. Emails revealed at a Congressional hearing showed that PCA owner Stewart Parnell had repeatedly urged his employees to do so.

In February, Texas health officials closed a PCA plant in Plainview after finding horrible conditions there, including dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area. Apparently, the plant’s air handling system was pulling debris from the infested crawl space into production areas.

Because PCA made peanut paste, peanut butter and other ingredients for 85 other firms - including The Kellogg Company and General Mills - hundreds of recalls have been issued. PCA was forced to declare bankruptcy, and federal officials are conducting a criminal probe of the company.

According to a report on the CDC website, the outbreak began last September, and the most recent illnesses reported to the CDC began in early February. According to the agency, more than half of the cases involve children. More than 20 percent of the victims in this outbreak are under five. Illnesses have been reported in 44 states.

According to the CDC, many newly-reported cases of PCA salmonella involved people who only recently ate a tainted product. "FDA and CDC are concerned that illness will continue to occur if people eat recalled peanut-containing products that are still on their shelves at home," the CDC said on its website.

"Consumers should check at home for recalled peanut butter containing products and discard them," the CDC said.

Salmonella Lawsuits Targeting Kellogg Company

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0800

In the wake of a nationwide salmonella outbreak that has sickened over 660 people and killed nine, an Oregon family is suing the Kellogg Company, reports Oregon Business News. The lawsuit, filed by the parents of a three-year-old boy who was severely ill for 11 days following consumption of salmonella-tainted peanut butter crackers, charges g Kellogg with negligence and is seeking an unspecified amount of damages.

The lawsuit accuses Kellogg of failing to use ingredients in its products that were "safe, wholesome, free of defects" and that Kellogg "had a duty to carefully select and monitor its suppliers" but "failed to adequately supervise them," quoted Oregon Business News. The boy tested positive for salmonella matching the same strain as the outbreak, which was then followed by testing of the family’s packages of Kellogg’s Austin Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter. The crackers also tested positive for salmonella tymphimurium,, William Keene, senior epidemiologist with the Oregon state Public Health Division, told Oregon Business News.

Kellogg was one of dozens of companies that obtained peanut ingredients from Peanut Corp. of America (PCA). Although not named in the lawsuit, PCA also faces scores of lawsuits. It is also the subject of a federal criminal investigation, and has been served with FBI search warrants because of the salmonella outbreak. The outbreak—one of the largest in U.S. history—has been linked to two of three PCA plants. PCA filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy early last month, its plants in Georgia, Texas and Virginia are closed.

The recall was followed by the discovery of revolting conditions it PCA plants in Georgia and Texas, including mold, roaches and rodent infestations. Inspection of the Georgia plant revealed that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. Some products were shipped before a second round of testing was conducted.

The Washington Post reports that PCA is now being sued by its insurer, Hartford Casualty Insurance. Hartford disagrees with the amount it must pay out in legal claims against PCA. The insurer and PCA are in a dispute regarding the circumstances surrounding the contamination, and whether those circumstances make the liability coverage null and void, reported the Washington Post.

Now, hundreds of companies who purchased tainted PCA products are facing financial and legal problems. According to the Washington Post, Kellogg has been named in at least six lawsuits. Forward Foods, maker of Detour protein bars, filed for bankruptcy protection after it was forced to recall 75 percent of its products. Scotts is suing its supplier over claims it lied about the peanut meal used in wild bird seed, which originated at PCA, reported the Washington Post. Scotts said it was forced to recall five such seed varieties, which caused it "substantial damages" and "significant" injury to its brand.

Peanut Salmonella Outbreak Could Continue for Years

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The salmonella outbreak linked to tainted peanut products made by now-bankrupt Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) could last for years. An official for the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently told the Atlanta Constitution Journal that because of the extremely high number of products that were made with PCA ingredients, many tainted foods could stay in circulation for years, putting people at risk of illness into the foreseeable future.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), tainted PCA products have sickened 666 people across the country. Cases of salmonella poisoning - including 9 deaths - related to the outbreak strain have been reported in 45 states and Canada. The illnesses have been linked to PCA facilities in Georgia and Texas, where in addition to salmonella, inspectors found mold, rodent droppings and bird feathers. Both plants were shut down, and earlier this month, PCA filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

All peanut butter, peanut paste and other ingredients made by PCA since 2007 have been recalled. Because PCA makes ingredients for 85 other food firms, the number of recalled products have exceeded 2600. And the list continues to grow. Companies large and small - from regional food firms to giants like the Kellogg Company - have had to issue recalls of products made with PCA peanut ingredients.

The FDA's Food Safety Director told the Atlanta Constitution Journal that the agency is concerned that the PCA salmonella outbreak might go on for quite some time. For one thing, the recalls are so massive, it is difficult to know if all consumers are getting the message.

What's more, many peanut products have a long shelf life, which means they could stay in food pantries for quite a while. A year from now, someone who takes such a product out of their cupboard may not remember or know it was recalled the year prior.

"We’re really concerned. This is not over yet,” Stephen Sundlof said. He told the Atlanta Constitution Journal that the outbreak could last as long as two years.

About 12 salmonella cases related to PCA products are still being reported every week , the Constitution Journal said. That is down from 60 a week at the outbreak's peak. But, because most cases of salmonella are never reported, there are probably even more people getting sick.

According to the Constitution Journal, the last salmonella outbreak that involved peanut products - the Peter Pan peanut butter outbreak that occurred in 2006 /2007 - lasted about a year. But the current salmonella outbreak involves far more products, so it is expected that foods containing tainted PCA ingredients will endanger consumers for far longer.

Salmonella Count Now at 666

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The peanut salmonella outbreak linked to ingredients made by a Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) manufacturing facility in Blakely, Georgia plant has now sickened more than 600 people. Meanwhile, health officials have confirmed that salmonella found at a second PCA plant in Texas was also tied to the nationwide salmonella outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), tainted PCA products have sickened 666 people across the country. Cases of salmonella poisoning - including 9 deaths - related to the outbreak strain have been reported in 44 states and Canada. The CDC also said that 19 clusters of infections in five states have been reported in schools, long-term care facilities and hospitals. King Nut brand peanut butter - which was made by PCA - was present in all facilities.

King Nut brand peanut butter was among the first products recalled last month because of salmonella contamination. But because PCA makes peanut paste, peanut butter and other ingredients for 85 other firms, hundreds of other recalls soon followed. Those recalls now exceed 2000.

At first, the salmonella outbreak was traced to PCA's plant in Blakely, Georgia, resulting in its closure. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) inspections last month found that the company knowingly shipped products from that plant that had tested positive for salmonella. Emails revealed at a Congressional hearing showed that PCA owner Stewart Parnell had repeatedly urged his employees to do so.

Earlier this month, Texas health officials closed a PCA plant in Plainview after finding horrible conditions there, including dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area. Apparently, the plant’s air handling system was pulling debris from the infested crawl space into production areas.

As we reported at the time, this facility was not licensed with health officials. Despite having been in operation since 2005, it also had not been inspected until the PCA plant in Georgia had been implicated in the salmonella outbreak.

The Texas inspection also revealed salmonella contamination there, and the bacteria found at Plainview was eventually tied to six cases of salmonella poisoning in Colorado. Now, the CDC has confirmed that the Texas salmonella strain is the same one implicated in the nationwide outbreak.

Texas health officials ordered everything from the PCA Plainview plant recalled last week. However, the health department was forced to issue the recall action itself after PCA was slow to do so.

PCA is now the focus of a criminal probe being conducted by the US Justice Department. Earlier this month, the company filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy. A statement from PCA’s attorney blamed the fallout from the salmonella scandal for the filing.

Inconsistent State Tracking Contributed to Nationwide Salmonella Outbreaks

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Health officials admit that the ongoing and massive peanut salmonella outbreak was not handled as quickly as it could have been, in part because of a variety of differing and inconsistent state laws, reports MSNBC.

Adding to the issue, not all states require submission of salmonella specimens that contain the DNA markers necessary to confirm an outbreak, said MSNBC, which broke the story on how lags in food borne infection outbreaks can cost much more than money in the way of health and life.

One-third of all states are not required to submit such samples, but can do so on a voluntary basis. Also, according to MSNBC, a technology called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis—PFGE—is used by some, but not all states, to test salmonella samples collected; some states only test some collected samples, some test all, and so on. Food safety advocates have long lobbied for mandatory PFGE testing, which many believe could have expedited the detection and conclusion to the numerous national outbreaks that have made headlines in recent months, said MSNBC, yet mandatory, consistent testing protocols continue to elude the food industry.

Without such consistent, mandatory, nationwide testing protocols, outbreak warnings can slip through the cracks, become delayed, and result in widespread illness and death. For instance, in the current salmonella outbreak, illnesses began occurring as far back as September 1, 2008; however, the outbreak was not detected for at least two months and was not recognized by public health until early this year, said MSNBC. In a case where nine have died and over 600 have been sickened, the figures of who could have been saved or spared are staggering.

Now, the outbreak is topping over 650 illnesses in 44 states and Canada; nine deaths; over 2,200 peanut product recalls, involving over 200 companies; and at least one company claiming it had no choice but to declare bankruptcy as a result of the Peanut Company of America (PCA) scandal. Every product ever produced by PCA has been recalled; all of PCA’s plants have been closed; and the company is in the midst of bankruptcy, criminal investigations, and dozens of lawsuits.

“It’s that whole idea of finding needles in haystacks,” Dr. Robert Tauxe, deputy director for foodborne illnesses at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told MSNBC. “We would like virtually all of the salmonella to be tested if we can,” Dr. Tauxe added, noting that had information been available earlier, the “unusual” strain of salmonella—Salmonella Typhimurium—might have been detected sooner in the ongoing outbreak, which has been linked solely to PCA. “Having less than 100 percent compliance lowers the sensitivity of outbreak detection,” said John Besser, clinical lab manager for the Minnesota Department of Health. “The current system was designed to test local events such as the church potluck. The way you make the system better is by getting salmonella isolates tested,” quoted MSNBC.

Unified detection protocols would have also been helpful last summer when the massive Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak—first blamed on tomatoes and later on Mexican peppers—caused 1,400 illnesses, about 300 hospitalizations, and was linked to two fatalities. Testing was partly to blame in that case in which Texas—a state with over 550 confirmed cases—did not require mandatory isolate testing, said Dr. Tim F. Jones, Tennessee’s state epidemiologist and an international food illness expert, saying that “It led to a delay,” quoted MSNBC.

Salmonella causes 40,000 confirmed cases each year, but, says the CDC, is probably responsible for close to 40 times that—a stunning 1,600,000—noting that 2,500 subtypes of salmonella exist, said MSNBC. PFGE costs about $100 per test, reported MSNBC. Given the cost of some of the recent outbreaks—last year’s salmonella outbreak had early estimates at $100 million; however, that number is likely a "gross underestimate," said Julia Stewart, spokeswoman for the Produce Marketing Association—perhaps testing is a fiscally responsible course of action.

Food Poisoning Outbreaks Linked to Animal Factory Farms

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

At least one expert believes that the massive peanut salmonella outbreak linked to the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), likely has animal feces from factory farming at its core. According to Neil Barnard—a medical doctor, nutrition researcher, and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, writing for AgWeek—food safety experts and researchers are missing the real problem.

And, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blames peanut butter and peanut paste made by PCA, Barnard feels that blaming an “innocuous” food might not be the answer, citing the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to spinach and the 2008 salmonella outbreak first linked to tomatoes and finally to Mexican peppers, reported AgWeek. Barnard feels more success would be realized if the problem was tackled head on and earlier on in the food processing chain as opposed to patching the problem further down the line and only after consumers are stricken or dying.

Because Salmonella and E. coli are intestinal bacteria and because spinach, tomatoes, peppers, and peanuts—for example—do not have intestines, experts should be looking beyond the tainted produce and to the tainting source, says Barnard. When produce becomes tainted, the source is typically feces contamination from an infected animal by either corrupted fertilizer or irrigation water used in the fields, Barnard explains in the AgWeek piece.

Barnard noted that a recent Pew Commission Report on industrial farm animal production explained that, “untreated animal waste harboring pathogens contaminates air, water, soil, and crops.” As a matter-of-fact, FDA investigators determined that farm animal waste was ultimately found to be the origin of the 2006 E. coli outbreak, reported AgWeek. According to Barnard, the government needs to step up and recognize that the origin of the current salmonella outbreak is an out-of-control factory farming system. Many food safety experts agree, blaming the increase in food borne pathogenic outbreaks on mega-farms, -processors, and –distribution centers, with enormous amounts of food being processed with a lack of protocols, inspectors, and safety workers to accommodate a growing need.

Barnard points out that Americans consume animals at an astounding rate of one million animals per hour with related farms, feedlots, and animal processing operations continually being established nationwide to meet the need. Figuring that one factory farm typically accommodates thousands of such animals, Barnard calculated that the related waste was similar to that produced by a “small city,” pointing out that runoff from such farms is, in fact, the largest American water pollution problem with animal waste in the runoff containing pathogens in concentrations from 10-to-100 times greater than those found in human waste.

The PCA plant linked to the salmonella outbreak is located in Georgia, notes Barnard, and Georgia is also the country’s number one state producer of chicken meat and eggs, and, coincidentally, peanuts. Barnard points out that the state raises over 1.3 billion chickens annually under “crowded, often unsanitary conditions,” pointing to an obvious link between the billions of peanuts Georgia grows and salmonella and other pathogenic infections originating from chickens and the filthy conditions under which they are maintained. Worse, there are a number of counties in Georgia in which dangerous, often deadly, bacteria can move from a poultry to a peanut factory via runoff from neighboring fields, says Barnard. But Georgia, although highlighted because of the PCA scandal, is not the only state in which this sort of cross-contamination often occurs.

While PCA’s disgusting processing facilities harbored various types of salmonella, it is likely that the pathogens originated from any number of sources, including the rodent and pest population which had made PCA their home, as well as filthy runoff contaminating farmlands in which peanuts are produced. If the latter turns out to be the case, then the likelihood exists that nonPCA peanuts and peanut products—so far deemed safe by government officials—are at great risk for pathogenic transfer and infection.

Peanut Corporation of America Fails to Fulfill Recall Order

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

In the face of a massive salmonella outbreak, dozens of lawsuits, a criminal investigation, bankruptcy filings, FBI search warrants, plant closures, and Congressionally-urged criminal charges, the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) has not carried out a recall order, reports the Associated Press (AP). PCA’s recent negligence—just the latest in a string of inept, dangerous, careless, and avaricious behaviors—has forced the state of Texas to fulfill the recall order and contact customers directly, said the AP.

PCA filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on February 7, which means it will liquidate its assets to repay creditors. Authorities recently closed PCA’s Texas plant and the Virginia plant—the only plant not linked to salmonella. The Plainview, Texas plant closure prompted the Texas Department of Health to issue a recall order for everything ever produced there, said the AP. The recall followed the discovery of revolting conditions, including dead rodents, rodent excrement, and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area. Prior to the outbreak, the plant was never licensed and never inspected, but was operating since 2005.

Last month, inspections of the Georgia plant revealed that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. At that, PCA officials told the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that those peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing; however, the FDA learned PCA actually shipped some peanuts before the second round was completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, a second test was not performed, even after the first came back positive. Those inspections also turned up mold, roaches, and a leaking roof.

The Virginia facility was found to have flaking paint and evidence of rodents in 2007 and 2008. The PCA promised to fix the problems, reported the AP in an earlier article; however, when inspectors returned a second time in 2008 to ensure this was done, they found two dead mice in traps in a warehouse, as well as an open door, and a 32-inch-wide gap in strip curtains “completely exposed to the entrance of pests,” said the AP. Mold was also found on the outside of 43 totes of blanched peanuts.

The outbreak prompted one of the largest—if not the largest—recalls in history, has sickened over 600 in 44 states and Canada, is linked to nine deaths, has resulted in thousands of recalls by hundreds of companies, and is the cause of business failure to at least one company. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over half of those sickened have been children.

In a prior report, the Christian Science Monitor said that Georgia officials are weighing whether or not to charge Stewart Parnell, PCA owner, with manslaughter, if federal authorities choose not to do so. Meanwhile, in a room full of angry investigators and government officials and the devastated family members of some of the deceased and sickened, Parnell refused to answer House questions in a recent hearing, continually invoking his Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate himself, until he was finally excused. Parnell is accused of placing profits over safety and of ordering his staff to ship products which should have been discarded based on initial confirmations of salmonella contamination, not once, but at least one dozen times in just two years.

Food Inspector Shortage Contributed to Salmonella Outbreak

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Amid one of the largest salmonella outbreaks in history, the Associated Press (AP) is reporting that it has become more apparent that one of the problems contributing to such outbreaks in this country is a significant shortage of food inspectors.

According to the AP, state budget problems are contributing to a problem that has left a glut of unfilled food inspection jobs at some of the larger facilities. In particular, the AP report cited Georgia, where 60 inspectors handle about 16,000 sites; 15 inspector positions are forced to remain empty there over budget cuts. Georgia is the state where the notorious Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) plant responsible for the massive salmonella outbreak is located. The AP noted that California, Texas, and Florida are also facing similar problems and Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has 12 of its 129 inspector positions open.

In Texas, eight food inspector positions are vacant and 34 inspectors are responsible for approximately 21,000 facilities, which include food distributors and salvage operations, said the AP. Doug McBride, spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, pointed out that this means that each inspector is responsible for about 618 facilities each, reported the AP. McBride noted that, because of the dearth of inspectors, they are forced to only look at firms that either produce high-risk foods or have known issues.

"You can only shift the pawns on the table so many times before the game catches up with you," Georgia deputy Agriculture Commissioner Oscar Garrison told legislators earlier this month, said the AP. Meanwhile, experts note that the government defers to states to monitor food safety, it added.

Regarding the ongoing Georgia salmonella case directly linked to a PCA plant, a state inspection in October that was conducted in under two hours, revealed only minor problems, said the AP, yet, last month, federal agents found a variety of revolting conditions including cockroaches, mold, and a leaking roof.

Before the financial downturn that has resulted in budget cuts at local, state, and federal levels, food safety was a point of significant concern with the much-criticized U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a matter-of-fact, the gargantuan peanut butter scandal that has sickened over 600 and has been linked to the death of nine people, prompted President Barack Obama to order a “complete review” of the agency as one of his new administration’s first orders of business.

The agency has long been criticized for a wide variety of issues, conflicts, and failures, with the recent, highly publicized peanut butter debacle causing outrage nationwide. Said Obama, the peanut butter contamination that has hit nearly every state and Canada was just the most recent in an array of “instances over the last several years” in which “the FDA has not been able to catch some of these things as quickly as I expect them to catch,” reported Today in an earlier piece. Today noted that critics routinely pointed to the recent Bush administration as having “crippled” the FDA with eight years of budget cuts and a refusal to conduct an overhaul of the failing agency.

Peanut Corp. of America Sued by Family on Behalf of Children

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

David and Sarah Kirchner filed suit against the Peanut Company of America (PCA) on behalf of their two children—three-year-old Michael and six-month-old Lily—who fell ill as a result of consuming products originating from PCA and tainted with salmonella, said the Star Tribune. This is just one of dozens of lawsuits filed against PCA by or on behalf of people who became ill or died as a result of PCA’s filthy operating conditions and ongoing negligence.

The Kirchner’s filed suit this week, alleging negligence and seeking unspecified damages, said the Star Tribune. Both young children were sick over the Christmas holidays, with Michael having to spend three days in the hospital. The children experienced painful diarrhea, with Lily—who is only six months old now—falling ill first in early December, reported the Star Tribune. Michael likely was the first to be infected and passed the illness to Lily before he showed symptoms, Sarah Kirchner told the Star Tribune; both children lost weight and are easily tired.

The peanut butter crackers Michael ate were one of the 2,300 recalled foods in 17 categories, recalled by hundreds of companies that were contaminated with salmonella and produced with products supplied by PCA. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that over half of those sickened—numbering over 640 in 44 states and Canada—have been children; nine deaths are being attributed to the massive outbreak.

In addition to dozens of lawsuits, PCA is at the center of a criminal investigation, bankruptcy filings, FBI search warrants, and possible criminal charges urged for by Congress. PCA filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on February 7, which means it will liquidate its assets to repay creditors. Authorities recently closed PCA’s Texas plant and the Virginia plant—the only plant not linked to salmonella—said Newsday in a prior report.

Last month, inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. At the time of that discovery, PCA officials told the FDA that those peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing; however, the FDA learned PCA actually shipped some peanuts before the second round of tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed, even after the first came back positive. Those same inspections of the Blakely plant turned up mold, roaches, and a leaking roof.

The Texas Department of Health recalled everything made in Plainview after horrifically revolting conditions, including dead rodents, rodent excrement, and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area, were discovered. The plant, although never licensed and never inspected prior to the outbreak, was operating since 2005.

The Virginia facility was found to have flaking paint and evidence of rodents in 2007 and 2008. The problems were classified as minor, and PCA promised to fix them, reported the Associated Press in an earlier article. When inspectors returned a second time in 2008 to ensure this was done, they found two dead mice in traps in a warehouse, as well as an open door, and a 32-inch-wide gap in strip curtains “completely exposed to the entrance of pests,” said the AP. Mold was also found on the outside of 43 totes of blanched peanuts.

Salmonella Scare Closes Final Peanut Corp. Plant

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) has closed a third - and final - plant because of a massive, nationwide salmonella outbreak linked to the company's peanut products. The PCA plant, located in Southeastern, Virginia, closed the same day the Lynchburg-based company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The company has said that the plant, known as Tidewater Blanching, has not been tied to the salmonella outbreak.

Two other PCA plants, one in Blakely, Georgia and another in Plainview, Texas, had already been closed because of the salmonella outbreak. Last month, PCA recalled everything made at the Georgia plant since 2007 after products there tested positive for the same strain of salmonella associated with the nationwide outbreak that has sickened more than 600 people and killed nine.

Last month, inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. At the time of that discovery, PCA officials told the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that those peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing. But the FDA eventually discovered that PCA actually shipped some of the peanuts before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed even after the first one came back positive. Those same inspections of the Blakely plant also turned up mold, roaches and a leaking roof.

At least six cases of salmonella poisoning were also traced to peanuts from the Plainview plant. It was closed early last week after salmonella was found there. Days later, the Texas Department of Health recalled everything made in Plainview after it found dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area. According to the Associated Press, the plant’s air handling system was pulling debris from the infested crawl space into production areas. Despite having been in operation since 2005, the Plainview facility was unlicensed, and had never been inspected before the salmonella outbreak.

While the Virginia facility had not been tied to the outbreak, it did have its share of problems. According to the Associated Press, during inspections in 2007 and 2008, state health officials found flaking paint and evidence of rodents. The problems were classified as minor, and the company promised to fix them.

But when inspectors returned a second time in 2008 to make sure this was done, they found two dead mice in traps in a warehouse, as well as an open door and a 32-inch-wide gap in strip curtains “completely exposed to the entrance of pests,” the Associated Press said. Mold was also found on the outside of 43 totes of blanched peanut.

The FDA sent a team to inspect the Virginia blanching plant last month, but its report is not yet available.

The closing of Tidewater Blanching was the result of PCA's bankruptcy filing late last week. In a statement released Friday, PCA's lawyers blamed the filing on the fallout from the salmonella outbreak. “Given the events of the past month, including the broad-based recalls of the products sold by the company and its subsidiary in Plainview, Texas, the company has no alternative but to cease operations,” the statement said. “This bankruptcy filing, while regrettable, will allow for an orderly liquidation of the company.”

Forward Foods Declares Bankruptcy Over Salmonella Outbreak

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) can add another victim to its growing list of casualties. This time, a food manufacturer was forced to file chapter 11 bankruptcy over the massive recall and outbreak of tainted peanut products produced by PCA, reported Newsday.

Forward Foods, which also operates under the name Detour, maker of high protein snacks and meal replacement bars, filed for bankruptcy protection citing that a “significant” portion of its stock had to be deemed condemned over fears of salmonella poisoning, said Newsday. Detour products containing peanut products from PCA accounted for the overwhelming majority of Forward Foods’ protein bar sales, it said in bankruptcy documents, added Newsday.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that, to date, 642 people in 44 states have fallen ill, which is an increase of 20 in less than one week, said Newsday. Over half of those sickened were children and nine people have died. Also, nearly 2,250 products in 17 categories have been recalled by over 200 companies. Since most salmonella cases are never reported to health authorities, it is likely that PCA products have sickened even more than the overwhelming 642 known victims. Newsday also noted that food banks across the country have also had to dispose of thousands of pounds of food.

PCA is at the center of a criminal probe; faces more than a dozen lawsuits involving victims who were sickened by the company's salmonella products, or their families—eight having been filed last week; bankruptcy filings, FBI search warrants; and the possibility of criminal charges, being called for by Congress. PCA filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on February 7, which means PCA will liquidate its assets to repay creditors, said Newsday. Authorities closed PCA’s Texas plant last week and the Virginia plant—the only plant not linked to salmonella—also closed last week, said Newsday.

Last month, inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. At the time of that discovery, PCA officials told the FDA that those peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing; however, the FDA learned PCA actually shipped some peanuts before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed, even after the first came back positive. Those same inspections of the Blakely plant turned up mold, roaches, and a leaking roof.

The Texas Department of Health recalled everything made in Plainview after it found horrifically revolting conditions including dead rodents, rodent excrement, and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area. According to the Associated Press (AP), the plant’s air handling system was pulling debris from the infested crawl space into production areas. Despite having been in operation since 2005, that facility was unlicensed, and had never been inspected before the salmonella outbreak.

The Virginia facility, although not tied to the outbreak, was found to have flaking paint and evidence of rodents in 2007 and 2008. The problems were classified as minor, and PCA promised to fix them, reported the AP in an earlier article. When inspectors returned a second time in 2008 to ensure this was done, they found two dead mice in traps in a warehouse, as well as an open door, and a 32-inch-wide gap in strip curtains “completely exposed to the entrance of pests,” said the AP. Mold was also found on the outside of 43 totes of blanched peanuts.

Peanut Corp. Faces Salmonella Lawsuits, Other Legal Woes

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Peanut Corp. of America (PCA), the company behind a massive, nationwide salmonella outbreak, faces more than a dozen lawsuits over the debacle. The lawsuits are just the latest legal woes facing PCA as a result of the outbreak.   On Friday, PCA filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection after salmonella tainted products from two of its factories were implicated in hundreds of illnesses around the country.

According to Roanoke, Virginia TV station WSLS, Lynchburg-based PCA faces 13 lawsuits involving victims who were sickened by the company's salmonella products, or their families. Eight of those lawsuits were filed only last week. Lawyers interviewed by the TV station said that it is likely that more salmonella lawsuits will be filed against PCA in the coming weeks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the PCA salmonella has sickened 637 people in 44 states. At least nine deaths have been linked to the outbreak. However, the vast majority of salmonella cases are never reported to health authorities, so it is likely that PCA products have sickened even more than the 637 known victims.

PCA provides peanut butter, peanut paste and other ingredients to 85 other food firms. More than 2000 products made by other companies, including the Kellogg Company and General Mills, have also been recalled. The recalls are so widespread that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has even set up an online database to help consumers track them.

Two PCA facilities, one in Blakely, Georgia and the other in Plainview, Texas, have been implicated in the salmonella outbreak. Last month, inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. At the time of that discovery, PCA officials told the FDA that those peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing. But the FDA eventually discovered that PCA actually shipped some of the peanuts before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed even after the first one came back positive. Those same inspections of the Blakely plant also turned up mold, roaches and a leaking roof. The Georgia facility shut its doors in January.

Conditions at the Texas PCA plant were just as awful. Early last week, that plant was shuttered after salmonella contamination was discovered there. Days later, the Texas Department of Health recalled everything made in Plainview after it found dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area. According to the Associated Press, the plant’s air handling system was pulling debris from the infested crawl space into production areas.   Despite having been in operation since 2005, the Plainview facility was unlicensed, and had never been inspected before the salmonella outbreak.

In a statement released Friday, PCA's lawyers blamed its bankruptcy filing on the fallout from the salmonella outbreak. “Given the events of the past month, including the broad-based recalls of the products sold by the company and its subsidiary in Plainview, Texas, the company has no alternative but to cease operations,” the statement said. “This bankruptcy filing, while regrettable, will allow for an orderly liquidation of the company.”

In addition to the lawsuits and bankruptcy, PCA is at the center of a criminal probe because of the salmonella outbreak. Last week, the FBI executed search warrants at the PCA Georgia plant and at its headquarters in Virginia.

At least one member of the U.S. Congress has called for criminal charges to be filed against PCA owner Stewart Parnell.   "Based on my review of the evidence, there should be a criminal prosecution here," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Klobuchar said she was outraged after learning that under Parnell's direction, PCA had shipped batches of peanut products after they tested positive for salmonella. She told the Star Tribune that if Parnell is charged and found guilty, he should get jail time.

Parnell had been subpoenaed to testify at a Congressional hearing last week, and although he appeared, he invoked his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.

Peanut Corp. Texas Plant Linked to Salmonella Cases in Colorado

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Six cases of salmonella poisoning have been linked to a Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) plant in Texas that was shut down last week. The Plainview facility is the second PCA plant to be implicated in a nationwide salmonella outbreak that has killed 9 people and sickened more than 600.

The six salmonella victims are all from Colorado. According to the Colorado Health Department, they range in age from ages 2 through 60. One had to hospitalized. Their illnesses traced to peanut butter sold by Vitamin Cottage stores that had been made with PCA peanuts, the health department said.

Vitamin Cottage is one of the many companies that has recalled products made with PCA ingredients in recent weeks. Those recalls now exceed 2000, and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has had to establish a searchable database to help consumers track the recalls.

The PCA Plainview plant was closed last week after possible salmonella contamination was found there. A few days later, all products made at the Plainview facility were recalled after Texas Health Department inspectors discovered appalling conditions there. Those conditions included dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area. According to the Associated Press, the plant’s air handling system was pulling debris from the infested crawl space into production areas. Despite having been in operation since 2005, the Plainview facility was unlicensed, and had never been inspected before the salmonella outbreak.

The Plainview facility was the second PCA plant to be implicated in the salmonella outbreak. Last month, the company's factory in Blakely, Georgia was closed after salmonella-tainted foods were discovered there. Recent inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. Those same inspections of the Blakely plant also turned up mold, roaches and a leaking roof.

PCA officials told the FDA that the suspect peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing. But the FDA later found that PCA actually shipped some of the peanuts before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed even after the first one came back positive.

PCA is now the subject of a criminal probe. Last week, , the FBI executed search warrants at the PCA Georgia plant and at its headquarters in Virginia. PCA owner Stewart Parnell had also been subpoenaed to testify at a Congressional hearing last week week, and although he appeared, he invoked his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.

Late Friday, PCA filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. A statement from PCA's attorney blamed the fallout from the salmonella scandal for the filing.

More Peanut Corp. Recalls After Dead Rodents Found at Texas Plant

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) has been forced to recall all items made at its Plainview, Texas plant after state health inspectors discovered gruesome conditions there. The Plainview PCA plant was shut-down earlier this week because of possible salmonella contamination. As we reported earlier this month, this facility not licensed with health officials. Despite having been in operation since 2005, it also had not been inspected until another PCA plant had been implicated in a massive salmonella outbreak.

Products made by a PCA plant in Georgia are at the center of a nationwide salmonella outbreak that has killed 9 and has sickened 636 people. As we reported last month, recent inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. At the time of that discovery, PCA officials told the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that those peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing. But the FDA reported last Friday that PCA actually shipped some of the peanuts before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed even after the first one came back positive.

The Plainview plant, which was run by Plainview Peanut Co., a subsidiary of PCA, was shuttered Tuesday after the Texas State Health Department discovered possible salmonella contamination in products made there. In a statement, the health department said no contaminated products were shipped from the Plainview facility.

Yesterday, the Texas Health Department ordered a recall of all products made in Plainview after its inspection found dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area on Wednesday. According to the Associated Press, the inspection found that the plant's air handling system was pulling debris from the infested crawl space into production areas.

Since the outbreak began, PCA, which provides ingredients to 85 other food firms, has recalled everything made at its Blakely, Georgia plant since January 2007. More than 2000 products made by other firms, including the Kellogg Company and General Mills, have also been recalled. The recalls are so widespread that the FDA has even set up an online database to help consumers track them. The agency said it expects the recalls to continue, and has cautioned consumers to avoid foods made with peanut butter or paste unless they are sure the ingredients did not come from PCA.

Last month, the Justice Department joined the FDA in a criminal probe of PCA. Earlier this week, the FBI executed search warrants at the PCA Georgia plant and at its headquarters in Virginia.

PCA owner Stewart Parnell had been subpoenaed to testify at a Congressional hearing earlier this week, and although he appeared, he invoked his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.

Salmonella Fallout Leads Peanut Corp. to File for Bankruptcy

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Peanut Corp. of America (PCA), the much-maligned company behind a massive salmonella outbreak, has filed for bankruptcy. The Chapter 7 Bankruptcy means that PCA's assets will be liquidated.

Nine people have died and more than 600 have been sickened in the salmonella outbreak linked to PCA peanut products. Since the outbreak began, PCA, which provides ingredients to 85 other food firms, has recalled everything made at its Blakely, Georgia plant since January 2007. More than 2000 products made by other firms, including the Kellogg Company and General Mills, have also been recalled. The recalls are so widespread that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has even set up an online database to help consumers track them.

Recent inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. At the time of that discovery, PCA officials told the FDA that those peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing. But the FDA reported last Friday that PCA actually shipped some of the peanuts before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed even after the first one came back positive.

Those same inspections of the Blakely plant also turned up mold, roaches and a leaking roof. The plant has been closed since last month.

Conditions at another PCA plant in Plainview, Texas were not much better. Earlier this week, that plant was shuttered after salmonella contamination was discovered there. Yesterday, the Texas Department of Health recalled everything made in Plainview after it found dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area. According to the Associated Press, the plant’s air handling system was pulling debris from the infested crawl space into production areas. Despite having been in operation since 2005, the Plainview facility was unlicensed, and had never been inspected before the salmonella outbreak.

PCA's bankruptcy petition was filed in United States Bankruptcy court for the Western District of Virginia. The company's headquarters is located in Lynchburg, Virginia. A statement from PCA's attorney put blame for the bankruptcy on the fallout from the salmonella outbreak.

"Given the events of the past month, including the broad-based recalls of the products sold by the company and its subsidiary in Plainview, Texas, the company has no alternative but to cease operations," the statement said. "This bankruptcy filing, while regrettable, will allow for an orderly liquidation of the company."

Last month, the Justice Department joined the FDA in a criminal probe of PCA. Earlier this week, the FBI executed search warrants at the PCA Georgia plant and at its headquarters in Virginia.

PCA owner Stewart Parnell had been subpoenaed to testify at a Congressional hearing earlier this week, and although he appeared, he invoked his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.

Peanut Corp. Salmonella Contamination Dates to 2006

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Salmonella contamination was found at Peanut Corp. of America's (PCA) Georgia plant as early as 2006, a witness told a Congressional committee yesterday. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had previously said that salmonella first turned up at the plant in June 2007.

Speaking before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Investigations, Darlene Cowart of JLA USA testing service said the company contacted her in November 2006 to help control salmonella discovered in the plant. According to Cowart, she made a single visit to the PCA facility in Blakely, Georgia. She said she found that problems with peanut roasting and storage of peanuts could have led to the salmonella, but PCA officials said they believed the salmonella came from organic Chinese peanuts. Cowart also said that she thought PCA may have stopped using her company because of the number of times it found salmonella at the factory.

Charles Deibel, president of Deibel Laboratories Inc., said his company also found salmonella in PCA products. FDA records show that PCA sold those products despite Deibel's warnings.

"What is virtually unheard of is for an entity to disregard those results and place potentially contaminated products into the stream of commerce," Deibel said.

FDA officials appearing at the hearing said more federal inspections of PCA could have prevented this year's massive salmonella outbreak that has killed 9 and sickened 600. But the FDA hadn't been to the Georgia plant since 2001, and relied on state inspectors to spot problems.

Since the outbreak began, PCA, which provides ingredients to 85 other food firms, has recalled everything made at its Blakely, Georgia plant since January 2007. More than 1800 products made by other firms, including the Kellogg Company and General Mills, have also been recalled. The recalls are so widespread that the FDA has even set up an online database to help consumers track them. The agency said it expects the recalls to continue, and has cautioned consumers to avoid foods made with peanut butter or paste unless they are sure the ingredients did not come from PCA.

As we reported last month, recent FDA inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. The inspection also turned up roaches, mold and a leaky roof.

Families of some salmonella victims also appeared at the hearing. At one point, they were asked what they would like to see done in response to the catastrophe.

"Their behavior is criminal, in my opinion. I want to see jail time," said Jeffrey Almer, whose mother, Shirley Mae Almer, died Dec. 21, from salmonella caused by PCA peanut butter. Almer also asked why food recalls are only voluntary, and left up to the company.

Last month, the Justice Department joined the FDA in a criminal probe of PCA. Earlier this week, the FBI executed search warrants at the PCA Georgia plant and at its headquarters in Virginia.

PCA owner Stewart Parnell had been subpoenaed at yesterday's hearing, and although he appeared, he invoked his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.

Ohio Reports Latest Salmonella Death, Toll Now at 9

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The massive peanut butter salmonella outbreak has claimed yet another fatality. The Associated Press (AP) is reporting a ninth death in the nationwide salmonella outbreak, which has sickened over 600 people in 44 states and Canada.

The most recent death, said Ohio health officials, involves an elderly woman who died earlier this year and was found to be infected with the same salmonella strain involved in the outbreak, said the AP. It remains unknown if the woman’s illness and death is directly related to the tainted peanut butter.

The ninth death was announced on MSNBC news at the same time that the investigative hearing of the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) was under way, said the Examiner. PCA officials invoked protection under the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify, said the Examiner. Meanwhile, the product recall toll has exceeded 1900.

PCA owner and president, Stewart Parnell, appeared before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations following claims he gave approval to staff to ship peanut products that had initially tested positive for the dangerous and sometimes deadly salmonella pathogen, reported the Star Tribune. Parnell pleaded the Fifth despite facing the devastated surviving family members of those who died as a result of a widespread scandal that is linked to one PCA plant in what experts are saying is the largest contamination outbreak in history said the Star Tribune.

Parnell continued to invoke his rights as the House panel revealed internal PCA emails that quoted Parnell as discussing lost profits amid the investigation, illnesses, and deaths. Of particular concern, and regarding the 12 occasions in which products which tested positive for salmonella and were later retested as not being contaminated, Parnell wrote in an email about the products, "okay, let's turn them loose then." In October, Parnell complained in an email that delays occurring because of the positive tests were "costing us huge $$$$$$." Parnell even wrote to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following confirmation that the outbreak was linked to PCA, saying that PCA workers "desperately at least need to turn the raw peanuts on our floor into money."

Representative Henry Waxman (Democrat-California), who presented PCA with the emails written by Parnell also pointed to an email in which Parnell, responding to news that salmonella-tainted peanuts were shipped from PCA said, “I go through this about once a week. I will hold my breath again.” Inspections at PCA’s Georgia plant revealed filth that included cockroaches, mold, and leaks. “What they (the emails) show is this company cared more about its financial bottom line than about the safety of its customers,” Waxman said during the hearing.

And, while Parnell continues to maintain his silence amid overwhelming evidence and in the presence of outraged survivors and lawmakers, the numbers of those affected and the numbers of products recalled continues to rise. The FDA announced it expects recalls to continue and is warning consumers to avoid peanut butter and peanut paste unless they are certain the ingredients did not come from the PCA.

The Justice Department, the FBI, and the FDA are all involved in the criminal probe of PCA.

Salmonella Hearing: Peanut Corp. Owner Takes 5th, But Emails Speak Loud and Clear

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The owner of Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) has invoked his 5th Amendment rights, and has refused to testify at a Congressional hearing looking into a massive salmonella outbreak linked to PCA products. However, in spite of his silence, emails revealed at the hearing are very telling about Stewart Parnell's role in the salmonella debacle.

Salmonella-tainted peanut butter, peanut paste and other ingredients made by PCA have sickened more than 600 people in 44 states. Eight people have died in the outbreak.

PCA, which provides ingredients to 85 other food firms, has recalled everything made at its Blakely, Georgia plant since January 2007. More than 1800 products made by other firms, including the Kellogg Company and General Mills, have also been recalled. The recalls are so widespread that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has even set up an online database to help consumers track them. The agency said it expects the recalls to continue, and has cautioned consumers to avoid foods made with peanut butter or paste unless they are sure the ingredients did not come from PCA.

As we reported last month, FDA inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. The inspection also turned up roaches, mold and a leaky roof.

PCA officials told the FDA that tainted peanuts it shipped had tested negative for salmonella in a second round of testing. But the FDA reported on Friday that PCA actually shipped some of the peanuts before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed even after the first one came back positive.

PCA owner Parnell had been subpoenaed to testify today before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Parnell appeared, but invoked his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.

But at the hearing , Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calf.) presented PCA emails he said were written by Parnell. In the emails, Parnell pushes workers to ship peanuts that had tested positive for salmonella. In one of them, Parnell insists that PCA needs to "turn the raw peanuts on our floor into money." In another, he tells his plant manager to "turn them loose" after learning some peanuts were contaminated with salmonella.

In another missive sent on June 6, 2008, Parnell responds to news that peanuts that tested positive for salmonella had been shipped from the PCA factory. "I go through this about once a week. I will hold my breath again."

"What they (the emails) show is this company cared more about its financial bottom line than about the safety of its customers," Waxman said during the hearing.

Last month, the Justice Department joined the FDA in a criminal probe of PCA. Earlier this week, the FBI executed search warrants at the PCA Georgia plant in and at its headquarters in Virginia. According to the Associated Press, an Atlanta TV station reported FBI agents entering the plant and leaving with boxes and other material.

The PCA Georgia plant has been closed since January, and yesterday the company closed a Texas plant run by its subsidiary, Plainview Peanut Co., after salmonella had been detected there. As we reported last week, this facility was neither inspected nor licensed with health officials, despite having been in operation since 2005.

Peanut Salmonella Recalls Top 1800

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The colossal salmonella outbreak linked solely to one Peanut Company of America (PCA) plant located in Blakely, Georgia has resulted in over 1,800 peanut product recalls, said WebMD. The list, which is constantly being updated, can be found on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) searchable database.

Although major jarred peanut butter brands are not yet included in the recall, hundreds of other products have been affected, reported WebMD. Meanwhile, the outbreak has taken a toll that continues to rise. No less than 600 people in 44 states and one person in Canada have been sickened by the Salmonella Typhimurium strain, said Web MD.

Worse, the number of fatalities likely linked to the outbreak—originally quoted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at eight—has just increased and might be up to nine, the Associated Press (AP) is now reporting. It seems that Ohio officials announced that a woman who died earlier this year was infected with the same salmonella strain; officials are investigating to determine if a tainted peanut product was involved, said the AP. The CDC is also reporting, said WebMD, that the number of cases appeared to reach its highest peak in December; however, it is unable to deem the outbreak over since it can take up to a couple of weeks for a report of contamination to reach the CDC, said Web MD.

Of note, said WebMD, the outbreak was initially linked to PCA products distributed to institutions; stores were not thought to be involved. Since, PCA issued a press release that listed a variety of brands it had sold to consumers directly via retail stores in the past, thus widening the scope of the contamination. Although PCA said it has not sold direct to consumers in stores since 2007, the brands involved are Casey's, Parnell's Pride, Reggie, and Robinson Crusoe, which PCA said it sold to 99 Cent Stuff, 99 Cents Only Stores, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree stores.

WebMD also reported that Plainview Peanut Company, a PCA subsidiary, suspended operations at its Plainview, Texas plant while it undergoes state health investigations. WebMD pointed out that a statement on the Texas Department of State Health Services Website indicated that a private laboratory in contract with PCA revealed that salmonella was possibly detected in some of that plant’s products. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is also involved in the ever-growing scandal and is assisting with the FDA’s investigation of the Blakely, Georgia Plant with the Department of Justice conducting the criminal investigation of PCA.

Last month, FDA inspections at the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008, and revealed roaches, mold, and a leaky roof. PCA officials also told the FDA that tainted peanuts it shipped had tested negative for salmonella in a second round of testing; however, the FDA reported on Friday that PCA actually shipped some of the peanuts before the second tests were completed. Also, other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed, even after the first one came back positive for salmonella.

PCA owner Stewart Parnell had been subpoenaed to testify today before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and although he appeared, he invoked his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.

Another Peanut Corp. of America Plant Closed Over Salmonella Contamination

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Another Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) plant has been shut down after tests there detected possible salmonella contamination. According to the Associated Press, health officials are saying that no contaminated products were shipped from the PCA facility in Plainview, Texas.

Of course, that's not the case with another shuttered PCA plant in Blakely, Georgia. As we reported last month, FDA inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. At the time of that discovery, PCA officials told the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that those peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing. But the FDA reported on Friday that PCA actually shipped some of the peanuts before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed even after the first one came back positive.

Those products have been linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 600 people across the country. PCA, which provides ingredients to 85 other food firms, has recalled everything made at its Georgia plant since January 2007. More than 1800 products made by other firms, including the Kellogg Company and General Mills, have also been recalled. The recalls are so widespread that the FDA has even set up an online database to help consumers track them. The agency said it expects the recalls to continue, and has cautioned consumers to avoid foods made with peanut butter or paste unless they are sure the ingredients did not come from PCA.

In a statement released today, the Texas Department of Health revealed that possible salmonella contamination had been detected in peanut meal and granulated peanuts made at PCA's Plainview facility. It was not immediately known if the discovery would lead to broader product recalls, the Associated Press said. The FDA is searching records to see where products from the Plainview plant may have been distributed. However, the Texas statement said none of the contaminated products had been shipped yet.

According to the Associated Press, the Texas plant is run by a subsidiary of PCA, Plainview Peanut Co. As we reported last week, this facility was neither inspected nor licensed with health officials, despite having been in operation since 2005.

In addition to the nearly 2000 recalls, the problems at PCA have resulted in a criminal investigation of the company. Yesterday, the FBI executed search warrants at the PCA Georgia plant in and at its headquarters in Virginia yesterday. An Atlanta TV station reported FBI agents entering the plant and leaving with boxes and other material, the Associated Press said.

Peanut Corp. Lied to FDA About Salmonella-Tainted Peanuts

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) apparently lied about salmonella-tainted peanuts found at it's Blakely, Georgia plant. PCA products from that plant are behind a multi-state salmonella outbreak that has sickened people across the country, and sparked hundreds of food recalls.

As we reported earlier, Food & Drug Administration (FDA) inspections of the Georgia plant found that PCA shipped peanuts that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. PCA has insisted that those peanuts tested negative for the bacteria in a second round of testing. But according to the LA Times, the FDA reported on Friday that PCA had lied about the second batch of tests. According to the FDA, PCA actually shipped some of the peanuts before the second tests were completed. Other lots were shipped without testing and, in some cases, no second test was performed even after the first one came back positive.

Despite the outrageous conduct on the part of PCA, it appears that the FDA wanted to downplay the findings of its investigation. According to the LA Times, the FDA did not make a public announcement regarding PCA's deception. Rather, the information was quietly buried in a revision of a report on the FDA's website. After The Washington Post discovered the revisions, other media outlets, including The LA Times, reported the information.

So far, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed 575 cases of salmonella poisoning in 43 states linked to tainted PCA products. The outbreak may have contributed to eight deaths, the agency said.

PCA, which provides ingredients to 85 other food firms, has recalled everything made at its Georgia plant since January 2007. Hundreds of products made by other firms, including the Kellogg Company and General Mills, have also been recalled.

PCA even sold potentially tainted peanut butter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that was used in emergency food kits distributed in Kentucky following last month's disastrous ice storm. And last week, the US Department of Agriculture said that PCA had supplied peanut butter to the federal program that provides free school lunches to thousands of poor children.

The recalls are so widespread that the FDA has even set up a new online database to help consumers track them. The agency said it expects the recalls to continue, and has cautioned consumers to avoid foods made with peanut butter or paste unless they are sure the ingredients did not come from PCA.

Recent FDA inspections of the PCA Georgia plant have also turned up mold, roaches and a leaking roof. The company also didn’t clean its equipment there after finding contamination, and didn’t properly separate raw and finished products, the FDA said. All of this has prompted lawmakers in Congress to call for an overhaul of the food safety system in the U.S. The U.S. Justice Department has even opened a criminal probe into PCA's conduct.

Even the FDA hasn't escaped criticism. According to the Associated Press, prior to the outbreak, FDA inspectors had not been to the PCA Georgia plant since 2001.

Agriculture Secretary Calls for Single Food Agency

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The failing food safety issue in this country has been making headlines recently with agency scandals and routine, sometimes gargantuan food contaminations. Now, just-confirmed U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is saying that in the wake of the massive peanut butter salmonella debacle that has sickened over 575, been linked to eight deaths, and resulted in hundreds and hundreds of recalls, the time has come to streamline operations, reported Bloomberg News.

Vilsack is calling for a modernization of the food safety system with the ultimate goal being one single inspection agency to oversee all the food entering and produced in this country, said Bloomberg News, as opposed to the multiple, fragmented, outdated, and inefficient systems currently in place and responsible for keeping the nation’s food supply safe.

Vilsack told Bloomberg news that, “We need a single agency that’s working in a modern framework…. We don’t have that today,” noting that responsibility for some food safety is shared between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—which is responsible for meat and poultry—and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—which is responsible for drugs, medical devices, other products, and about 80 percent of the food supply—and is also present in a number of other governmental agencies.

The Associated Press pointed out gap in the multi-agency system. For instance, egg oversight depends on the state of the eggs. The FDA overseas eggs in the shell, but the USDA is responsible for processed egg products. Also, said the AP, while the FDA is responsible for inspecting peanuts, some USDA auditors visited the plant responsible for the ongoing salmonella outbreak to review records.

Earlier this month President Barack Obama also said he would be calling for a broad review of the FDA and food safety systems; however, Vilsack said that the one-agency model is at least one year away, reported Bloomberg. In the meantime, said Vilsack, the agencies responsible for food safety should be collaborating more closely and utilizing technology to improve and speed up operations, according to Bloomberg.

Regarding the peanut butter scandal, the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), the company solely responsible for the historic salmonella outbreak and whose shoddy safety and cleanliness practices as well as its failure to report salmonella contaminations on a dozen occasions and that it was operating a secret, unlicensed facility, has been suspended from doing business with the government for one year by the USDA, has been—with its subsidiary, Tidewater Blanching LLC—recommended for a longer, three-year ban; and has had its CEO ousted from the Peanuts Standards Board, reported the USDA, according to Bloomberg News.

The plan to introduce legislation into Congress for a single food-safety agency is not new and is, as a matter-of-fact, introduced into Congress each year, said Bloomberg. And while the proposed legislation has its outspoken proponents, the former George W. Bush administration not only never addressed the issue, but opposed the idea each time it was presented. This, despite that 76 million Americans fall ill and 5,000 die each year from food borne illnesses, reported Bloomberg.

Lawmakers Seek Food Safety Changes

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Amid the colossal salmonella outbreak, and following a number of highly publicized food borne contamination outbreaks last year, Congress is seeking to add increased power to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an effort to better protect consumers from what seems to be rampant negligence, scandal, and ineptitude in the food industry. Fox News called the current series of recalls one of the largest in FDA history, saying that Capitol Hill is scrambling to impose stringent reforms on America’s food producers and distributors.

Representative Rosa DeLaura told Fox News, 'there is no single person who has responsibility for food safety. The bill would give a new Food Safety Administration ... its own budget ... scientists, and the power to issue mandatory recalls. Under the current rules, the Food and Drug Administration needed the company's permission to launch the recall ... and had to resort to using a bioterrorism law to access records showing a dozen instances of salmonella at the plant.” DeLaura was referring to recent news that the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) plant responsible for the massive salmonella outbreak had recorded one dozen instances of testing positive for salmonella, yet continued to produce and distribute products versus sanitizing the plant and issuing recalls. Instead, it sought out another independent test facility, seeking test results that better suited its needs.

Representative DeLauro reintroduced her plan yesterday for a restructuring of the FDA, said the Hartford Courant. Long a critic of the FDA, DeLauro said that the agency has routinely failed to do what it is charged to do. As part of her proposed plan—the Food Safety Modernization Act—DeLauro recommended that the agency be split, with one responsible for food safety and the other for drug safety, said the Hartford Courant. Food safety responsibilities would fall under the purview of an agency to be headed by President Barack Obama’s pending pick for food safety administrator.

"The tragedies are preventable if we have the will to fix the system. The push for change could not be more urgent," said DeLauro, who is also seeking one agency to handle all food safety duties within the government, reported the Courant. Today, those responsibilities are split across an array of agencies including the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bill has 30 co-sponsors, said DeLauro, and only looks at current FDA responsibilities, which, reported the Courant, include the vast majority—80 percent—of the food supply.

The bill would look at prevention of food borne illness, producers controls, increased standards, and routine inspections. In the event of an outbreak, the food agency could actually mandate recalls; seize questionable, potentially dangerous, food products; and fine noncompliant companies, said the Courant. Said DeLauro of the current outbreak, "It represents the full-scale breakdown of a patchwork food-safety system."

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that the peanut items recalled reached 1,100—believed to be the largest human food recall in history, which is striking because PCA, the firm solely responsible for the outbreak, only produces an estimated one percent of U.S. peanut products. The AP also noted that four major bills are underway to reform the food safety system and while all provide recall authority to the FDA, enhancements to imported food standards, and production safety standards, there are differences on how, for instance, inspections should be conducted.

PCA, Peter Pan Salmonella Outbreaks Have Much in Common

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The salmonella outbreak linked to peanut products made by Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) and the Peter Pan salmonella outbreak that occurred just a couple of years ago apparently have more in common than just peanut butter. According to an article in Newsday, the strain of salmonella that caused the 2006-2007 Peter Pan outbreak was among five different strains recently linked to PCA.

That strain, Salmonella Tennessee, sickened over 700 people just two years ago. In February 2007, that outbreak prompted a recall of ConAgra’s Peter Pan and Great Value Peanut Butters. ConAgra faulted a leaky roof and malfunctioning sprinkler system at its production facility for causing the salmonella contamination. The plant in Sylvester, Georgia was closed due to the recall, but reopened later that summer.

The Salmonella Tennessee found this year turned up in Minnesota in an unopened can of King Nut Peanut Butter made by PCA. Four other salmonella strains, including the Salmonella Typhimurium type causing this year's outbreak, were found at PCA's Blakely, Georgia facility.

According to Newsday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has not received reports of anyone becoming ill because of Salmonella Tennessee from a PCA product. Unfortunately, the vast majority of salmonella cases never get reported, so there is no way of knowing for sure if Salmonella Tennessee from PCA has been making people sick.

According to Newsday, the PCA plant involved in this year's outbreak is only 70 miles from the ConAgra facility that made tainted Peter Pan. There is some speculation that the peanuts supplied to ConAgra prior to that outbreak could have come from the same farmer who supplied PCA during the current contamination. The CDC is working now to find any links between the PCA Salmonella Tennessee and that involved in the Peter Pan outbreak.

As was the case with the Peter Pan outbreak, it is looking like plant conditions may have contributed to salmonella contamination at PCA. Like the ConAgra plant, the PCA plant had a leaky roof. But inspectors have also found roaches and mold. Media outlets have also quoted a PCA employee who claims to have once found a rat in the factory' peanut roaster.

That facility has since been closed, and PCA has recalled peanut butter, peanut paste and other ingredients made there. Scores of other firms that were supplied by PCA have also recalled hundreds of foods made with PCA products. The recalls are occurring on a daily basis, and the Food & Drug Administration has had to set up an online, searchable database to help consumers track the recalls.

Despite the intriguing similarities between the PCA and Peter Pan salmonella outbreaks, it is important to note that ConAgra is not implicated in the current crop of illnesses. The company is not among those that have issued recalls, and it recently published a statement affirming that neither ConAgra Foods nor any of its suppliers purchase any ingredients from PCA.

According to the CDC, 550 people in 43 states have become sick from salmonella linked to PCA products. The outbreak may have contributed to 8 deaths.

Peanut Salmonella Company's Texas Plant Had No License

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Associated Press (AP) broke with news today that a peanut processing plant in Texas run by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA)—the Georgia-based company to blame for the massive salmonella outbreak that has plagued North America with sicknesses, deaths, and recalls—operated for years without inspections and with no license.

The AP reported that PCA’s Plainview, Texas plant was never inspected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until news broke about the current contamination and that once inspected, it did not reveal salmonella, but did confirm that the Texas plant operated without a license to do so for over three years.

The salmonella outbreak was traced to the Blakely, Georgia plant, reported the AP, where inspectors discovered—in addition to the highly publicized records indicating many instances of salmonella contamination there—roaches, mold, and a leaking roof.

Inspector Patrick Moore of Texas’ Department of State Health Services was dispatched to the Plainview Peanut Co. LLC plant and confirmed that it was neither inspected nor licensed with health officials, said the AP, which noted that the plant has been in operation since March 2005. "I was not aware this plant was in operation and did not know (what) type of products (sic) processed," Moore wrote in an inspection report obtained by AP. The AP reported that the Texas plant blanches, dry roasts, oil-roasts, and chops peanuts disbursed to food companies nationwide.

The PCA plant located in Georgia linked to the nationwide salmonella outbreak is now also the subject of a criminal probe. The investigation by the U.S. Justice Department was initiated after FDA inspectors learned that PCA sold peanut products to food makers after testing positive for salmonella. The salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter, peanut paste, and other peanut ingredients has sickened over 500 people in 43 states, and may have contributed to the deaths of eight people. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), illnesses were first reported in September 2008.

Yesterday, in an interview on the Today Show with Matt Lauer, President Barack Obama said he was ordering a “complete review” of the FDA. Obama discussed how this recent scandal was only just the most recent in an array of “instances over the last several years” in which “the FDA has not been able to catch some of these things as quickly as I expect them to catch,” reported Today. The FDA has long been criticized for a wide variety of issues, conflicts, and failures, with the recent, highly publicized peanut butter debacle causing outrage nationwide.

USA Today said that, last week, PCA expanded its recall to include two years' worth of production and included peanuts and peanut meal, among other products, to the standing peanut butter and paste recall. Over 800 products have been recalled, it said, making it one of the largest recalls in history.

The Boston Globe reported that well before this outbreak, the FDA received a report of a PCA shipment that was rejected in Canada and returned to the United States because is was severely contaminated with metal fragments. The FDA should have immediately ordered an investigation and didn’t.

FDA Knew of "Putrid" PCA Peanuts Weeks Before Salmonella Outbreak

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The behavior of Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) and federal regulators in relation to this year's massive salmonella outbreak continues to raise serious questions. We've already reported that the company knowingly shipped products from its Blakely, Georgia facility that tested positive for salmonella contamination at least a dozen times in 2007 and 2008. Now, the Associated Press is reporting that, just weeks before the Salmonella outbreak began, peanuts exported from that PCA plant were also found to be tainted and were returned to the U.S.

The salmonella outbreak has so far sickened 529 people in 43 states, and may have contributed to the deaths of eight people. According to the Centers for Disease Control, illnesses were first reported in September 2008.

The outbreak has been traced to peanut butter, peanut paste and other ingredients made at the PCA facility in Georgia. PCA, which provides ingredients to 85 other food firms, has recalled everything made at the Blakely plant since January 2007.

More than 390 other products made by other firms, including the Kellogg Company and General mills, have also been recalled. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has even set up a new online database to help consumers track the recalls. The agency said it expects the recalls to continue, and has cautioned consumers to avoid foods made with peanut butter or paste unless they are sure the ingredients did not come from PCA.

According to the Associated Press, an FDA report dated September 15 indicated that the agency had refused to allow PCA peanuts back into the U.S. after they were rejected by an importer in Canada. The report said the peanuts were denied re-entry because they contained a "filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, or is otherwise unfit for food." It is unclear what that substance was because the FDA never bothered to test the peanuts.

The Associated Press said it could not determine if the September 15 date on the report was when the unspecified importer rejected the shipment or when the FDA refused it. It also was not known whether the peanut shipment ultimately was destroyed or sent somewhere else. The FDA apparently never conducted any type of follow-up investigation.

The rotten peanut incident is just the latest disturbing news about PCA and its products. In addition to the FDA's discovery that tainted products may have been shipped by the Georgia plant, the agency's inspection found four different types of salmonella there. The inspection also turned up mold, roaches and a leaking roof. The company also didn’t clean its equipment there after finding contamination, and didn’t properly separate raw and finished products, the FDA said.

PCA Not Required to Report Salmonella Contamination at Plant

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Most states do not require food producers to alert health regulators when testing reveals food borne contaminants at production plants, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. The news is adding another element to the ongoing and massive peanut butter salmonella scandal that has claimed eight fatalities, sickened hundreds, affected nearly every state and Canada, and involves four different strains of salmonella.

The news broke as a result of information obtained from the federal probe into the deadly outbreak that is sweeping across North America. Yesterday, Bloomberg News reported that according to U.S. health officials, the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA)—the sole source of the contamination—shipped its peanut butter products on 12 different occasions in 2007 and 2008 following tests proving the products were tainted with the dangerous, sometimes deadly germ. Apparently, after receiving confirmation of the presence of salmonella in its products, PCA hired other laboratories to conduct additional tests, but actually continued to supply its products to customers according to Michael Rogers, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) director of field investigations, said Bloomberg.

According to the AP, the legal loophole that enabled PCA to keep its contamination quiet on a dozen occasions has lawmakers, consumer advocates, and food safety experts up in arms. Representative John Dingell from Michigan told Reuters, "Americans shouldn't have to worry about whether the food they serve their families and the medical products they use to improve their health might actually make them sick.”

Earlier this week democratic lawmakers on the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee introduced legislation to increase government inspections of food and drug manufacturing plants, reported Reuters. According to Reuters, the bill would require food producers and drug makers to pay the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fees in order to assist with the increased inspections. Other investigations into FDA processes and operations, said Reuters, have found the agency unable to manage the inspections needed to keep America’s food and drug supply adequately protected.

The bill would also require domestic and foreign food facilities to be inspected at least once every four years and drug manufacturing plants every two years. One exception would be if the FDA is able to justify that more infrequent inspections are needed, said Reuters. The bill would also increase FDA authority that includes its ability to order mandatory recalls, said Reuters.

The outbreak has sickened over 500 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and although the FDA finally issued a violation notice against PCA based on inspection of its Blakely plant, which began on January 9, the FDA did not inspect the Georgia plant during 2007 and 2008, reported Bloomberg yesterday. Inspections were conducted by Georgia state officials under contract with the FDA. According to Scientific American, Rogers said that PCA did not clean its Blakely, Georgia plant or otherwise take steps to minimize the tainting of is other products.

Salmonella Peanut Butter Lawyer America Attorney Lawsuit 2008 Recall

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella Outbreak

Keywords: Salmonella Peanut Butter Lawyer America 2008 Recall

The lawyers / attorneys at our firm are offering free consultations to victims of Salmonella poisoning linked to the Peanut Corp. of America. In January 2009, Peanut Corp. of America recalled all of the products that had been manufactured at its Blakely, Georgia plant since 2007. The recall was issued after those products were linked to a multi-state Salmonella outbreak that had sickened over 500 people and killed eight.

An investigation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that Peanut Corp. of America had knowingly shipped Salmonella-tainted products from the Georgia factory on a dozen occasions in 2007 and 2008. The Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella outbreak lawyers at our firm are committed to making sure this company is held accountable for its reprehensible conduct.

If you or someone you know were diagnosed with Salmonella after eating peanut butter made by Peanut Corp. of America, or any product made with ingredients supplied by this company, you may be entitled to compensation. We urge you to contact one of our Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella outbreak lawyers right away to protect your legal rights.

Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella Recalls

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

In early 2009, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced it was tracking a multi-state Salmonella outbreak that at the time had sickened over 400 people, and had been implicated in the deaths of three. The Salmonella strain involved in the outbreak had by then spread to more than 40 states, and had caused nearly 20 percent of victims to be hospitalized.

An important clue to the outbreak was found in a 5 pound can of tainted King Nut peanut butter found in Minnesota. The King Nut peanut butter had been manufactured by the Peanut Corp. of America. On January 10, King Nut Companies Inc. recalled all of its peanut butters sold under the King Nut and Parnell Pride labels. At the time, King Nut said it had distributed its peanut butter only through food service accounts, and it had not been sold directly to consumers. King Nut also said it had cancelled all of its future orders with Peanut Corp. of America.

On January 14, Peanut Corp. of America announced a recall of all peanut butter made at its Blakely, Ga., processing facility on or after July 1, 2008 “because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.” The recalled peanut butter was sold in bulk packages between five and 50 pounds to distributors for institutional and food service industry use.

On January 16, federal officials inspecting the Peanut Corp. of America facility in Georgia discovered Salmonella at the plant. At that time, Peanut Corp. of America expanded its recall to included all peanut butter and peanut paste made at the plant since August 2008.

The conditions federal investigators found at the Peanut Corp. of America plant implicated in the Salmonella outbreak were appalling. Inspectors reported finding roaches, mold, a leaking roof and other signs of health problems. Four different strains of Salmonella were found at the plant.

Even worse, the inspections uncovered records of 12 instances in 2007 and 2008 in which plant officials identified Salmonella in ingredients or finished products made there. The products were shipped anyway, in violation of safety regulations. According to the inspectors, Peanut Corp. of America never took steps to correct the conditions that led to the Salmonella contamination.

The discovery of the extensive Salmonella problems at the Peanut Corp. of America factory prompted yet another expansion of the company's recall. On January 28, it announced the recall would now include all peanuts and peanut products made at its Georgia factory since January 2007. By that time, the Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella outbreak had sickened over 500 people, and claimed 8 lives.

Other Recalls

Unfortunately, the Salmonella contamination problems at Peanut Corp. of America affected foods far beyond the company's peanut butter. Prior to the outbreak, Peanut Corp. of America supplied peanut butter and peanut paste to 85 other food firms. As a result, dozens of companies recalled products that might have been made with Peanut Corp. of America ingredients.

By the end of January 2009, more than 390 different products had been recalled because of Salmonella worries. The Kellogg Company, General Mills, Little Debbie and even the U.S. Army had pulled foods made with Peanut Corp. of America ingredients. Even then, federal health officials warned that more recalls would be coming. As a precaution, consumers were warned to avoid any foods made with peanut butter or peanut paste unless they could be sure that it was not made with ingredients from Peanut Corp. of America.

Legal Help for Victims of Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella Poisoning

The lawyers at our firm are all too aware of the terrible toll Salmonella poisoning takes on victims and their families. The outrageous conduct on the part of officials at Peanut Corp. of America needlessly exposed thousands of people to this dangerous pathogen. It is important that this company be held accountable for the injuries it has caused.

If you or someone you love were a victim of the Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella outbreak, you have valuable legal rights. Please fill out our online form, or call 1 800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636) to discuss your case with one of our experienced Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella outbreak lawyers.