It looks like the salmonella/peanut butter outbreak could have been easily avoided. The Food and Drug Administration says the company linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella knowingly shipped tainted peanut products.
A report from the FDA shows the Peanut Corporation of America’s (PCA) own testing program found strains of salmonella 12 times in 2007 and 2008 at its Blakely, Georgia, plant. After PCA’s tests were positive for the bacteria, the FDA says the company used outside labs to re-test its products. When those came back negative, PCA shipped the products, even though the initial findings were positive.
This month FDA inspectors found more salmonella contamination at the plant, as well as cockroaches, mold and leaking roofs.
The plant is now recalling every peanut product it has made in the past two years – peanut paste, peanut butter, dry and roasted peanuts, and everything else.
The FDA has a complete list of recalled products here.
And the American Peanut Council has a list of companies not affected by the recall on its website.
So far, 501 people have gotten sick from the salmonella outbreak including eight deaths.
[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]
This is scary stuff. It’s hard to believe that they would knowingly ship a potentially dangerous product. Although obviously this company doesn’t care, as there are apparently so many issues with their plant. I don’t really recognize any of the brands though. I guess you can only get it in the US?
- Dave
Cockroaches, mold!? How gross! To think, this is just one of the companies that is being scrutinized right now-think of all the others that probably have just as many issues. Reminds me of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.
I know, Katie – It makes me soooo mad! And scared to eat so many things now between this and the whole mercury/HFCS thing. Unfortunately, it seems it is all about $$$
David – Yes, they are obviously only concerned about profit here. It makes me so angry that they would knowingly ship tainted products.
Where do you live?