By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com
February 22, 2009
Peanut Corporation of America, maker of tainted peanut butter that has shown up in an ever-growing number of food products, has now told customers who received products from its Georgia or Texas plants not to distribute or make any further use of those products.
The company says customers should contact the FDA regarding the proper disposition of recalled products and any other matters related to the recall.
The recall began last month when an outbreak of salmonella was linked to the company's peanut butter, which is not sold in stores to consumers but instead is supplied to schools, nursing homes, hospitals and other food manufacturers.
The large number of products and brands recalled already, and the large quantities of some products recalled, makes this one of the largest food recalls ever in the United States.
More than 650 people in 44 states have gotten sick after eating the peanut butter and the Centers for Disease Control has linked eight deaths to the outbreak.
Meanwhile, PCA continues to come under fire. In Texas, state health officials said they have taken control of the recall of products from PCA's Plainview plant, describing the company as "unresponsive." Texas inspectors said they closed the Plainview plant after finding what they labeled as filthy conditions in the production area.
The FDA says the latest recall is the result of what it called an ingredient-driven outbreak; that is, potentially contaminated ingredients affected many different products that were distributed through various channels and consumed in various settings.
The recalled products made by PCA, such as peanut butter and peanut paste, are common ingredients in cookies, crackers, cereal, candy, ice cream, pet treats, and other foods. Consumers are advised to discard and not eat products that have been recalled.
To help consumers identify affected products, FDA has set up a searchable database of recalled products that is updated daily or as additional recalls are identified. To date, more than 2,100 products in 17 categories have been voluntarily recalled by more than 200 companies, and the list continues to grow.
In January, the recall list was expanded to include some pet-food products that contain peanut paste made by PCA. Salmonella can affect animals, and humans who handle contaminated pet-food products also are at risk.
It is important for people to wash their hands and to make sure children wash their hands with hot water and soap before and, especially, after handling pet-food products and utensils.
Updated list
The FDA now has a complete list of all products recalled in the salmonella outbreak on its Web site. Consumers can check that Web site daily to see if their favorite products are included in any recalls.
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.
