A massive peanut product recall has just expanded-- hundreds of products dating back a year and manufactured at a Georgia plant first were recalled this fall. Now the recall includes the same products, but now dating back two years.
A salmonella outbreak in peanut products has set off one of the largest product-recalls in U.S. History.
Consumers have already been on edge since September when reports of illness started trickling in. Since then, peanut products traced back to a Georgia
plant have sickened more than 500 people and killed at least 8.
Wednesday, the Peanut Corporation of America in Blakely, Georgia expanded its recall of its peanut products to all that they've produced since January 2007. The previous recall had affected more than 400 different products. Everything from granola bars to cookies have been pulled from store shelves.
The FDA said that it's also discovered repeated violations at the plant.
Michael Rogers an FDA Field Investigation says, "The firm's own internal testing program identified salmonella contamination in a product, and after getting a subsequent negative test result, sometimes using another lab's sample, the firm shipped finished products."
Previous inspections have revealed at least a dozen past salmonella violations and federal inspectors discovered horrifying conditions at the site, including roaches, mold and a leaking roof. On top of that, production lines were never cleaned up after internal tests showed the contamination. That's enough for some to call for a criminal investigation.
While most major brands of Peanut Butter remain unaffected, consumers are being warned to carefully check items for peanut paste - an ingredient found
in ice cream, Asian style sauces, even dog biscuits. The Peanut Corporation of America does not sell peanut butter or products directly to consumers and manufactures just one percent of peanut products sold in the United States.
The FDA is continuing its investigation.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement