By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com
January 29, 2009
The Congressional chairwoman of the Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Subcommittee is outraged by reports that the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) shipped products it knew were contaminated with salmonella.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut has called for an immediate investigation of the company.
"The actions by the Peanut Corporation of America can only be described as reprehensible and criminal," she said. "Not only did this company knowingly sell tainted products, it shopped for a laboratory that would provide the acceptable results they were seeking. This behavior represents the worst of our current food safety regulatory system."
DeLauro, however, said federal officials have little legal muscle in this case.
"Unfortunately, under our current system, punishing this company to the 'fullest extent possible' would result only in a mere slap on the wrist because the Food and Drug Administration lacks the authority to pursue adequate criminal sanctions," she said.
"This provides yet another defining snapshot of the problems that are plaguing our food safety system, and it demonstrates that extensive work will be required to modernize our regulatory structure to adequately protect our food supply."
Despite these limitation, DeLauro said she will still see if criminal charges can be filed against PCA.
"Because our regulatory system is broken in this area, I will be contacting the Department of Justice to request an investigation into the behavior by the Peanut Corporation of America to determine whether their actions warrant criminal prosecution," she said. "We must pursue a zero-tolerance policy when dealing with businesses that intentionally sell tainted products."
The peanut butter and paste made at PCA's Georgia plant are linked to the nationwide salmonella outbreak, which has sickened more than 500 people in 43 states and could be tied to the deaths of eight others.
An inspection report released on Wednesday revealed that facility is riddled with unsanitary conditions -- including roaches and mold -- and confirmed PCA shipped products it knew were tainted with salmonella 12 times in the past two years.
Hours after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released that inspection report (pdf file), PCA expanded its massive recall to include all peanuts and peanut products made at its Georgia facility since January 1, 2007.
Specifically, the recall includes:
• Peanut Butter All Styles All Sizes All Lots beginning with 7, 8, or 9;
• Peanut Paste All Styles All Sizes All Lots beginning with 7,8, or 9;
• Peanut Meal All Styles All Sizes All lots beginning with 7, 8, or 9;
• Peanut Granules All Styles All Sizes All lots beginning with 7, 8 or 9.
PCA also issued a warning to pet owners when it announced this latest action.
"Because some of our peanut products have been used by manufacturers of pet food," the company said, "we are also alerting the public that salmonella is an organism that can potentially be transferred to people handling pet treats."
The company's products are not sold directly to consumers. They are distributed to long-term care facilities, universities, food service industries, and private label food companies in the United States, Canada, Haiti, Korea, and Trinidad.
U.S. food makers use the company's peanut butter and paste as ingredients in cookies, crackers, energy bars, ice cream, and other products.
Food makers have already recalled hundreds of products in the wake of this salmonella outbreak.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare cases, it can cause more severe illnesses, including arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.
In pets, symptoms of salmonella infection include lethargy, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets, however, may have a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Pet owners are advised to wash their hands after handling the dog treats.
Meanwhile, PCA has halted production at its Georgia plant and says it's working with the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their investigation of the salmonella outbreak.
"We have been devastated by this, and we have been working around the clock with the FDA to ensure any potentially unsafe products are removed from the market immediately," said Stewart Parnell, President of Peanut Corporation of America. "Additionally, we are working alongside state and federal food safety experts in every way we can to help them protect consumers, both now and in the future."
The company said it is not aware of any illnesses linked to the additional peanuts and peanut products included in this latest recall.
PCA said it will notify customers who received the recalled products. For more information on this action, consumers can contact the company at 1-877-564-7080.
The FDA now has a complete list of all products recalled in the salmonella outbreak on its Web site. Consumers can check that list to see if their favorite products are included in any recalls.
