Double-take: What’s the date on that recall? 2007?
By Gina Spadafori
February 5, 2009
What?
I had to do a double-take, but yes, that’s 2007. From the FDA, in tonight’s round of midnight to 3 a.m. recall drops:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — February 4, 2009 — Odwalla, Inc. of Half Moon Bay, Calif., alerts consumers that certain expired Odwalla Chocolate Chip Peanut and Odwalla Peanut Crunch bars with “Enjoy by” dates of December, 2007, contain peanuts included within the expanded recall announced by Peanut Corporation of America (“PCA”) on January 28th and may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Um … so this really has been going on for a while …
I’m having the strangest feeling of deja vu…
Comment by Christie Keith — February 6, 2009 @ 12:02 am
Soon they’re going to be exhuming bodies of people who died 10 years ago to see if this peanut company killed them. Basically I think the info we need to know is this: How many years has this mildewy, rodent infested, Salmonella plant been in business? Cos if any of us ate any processed food with peanut ingredients in it during those years, we probably ate some yickyness.
Comment by YesBiscuit! — February 6, 2009 @ 6:23 am
Well, I thought the recall dates might be moved back a bit….bur I didn’t except 07.
I don’t even want to think about how many things I’ve eaten in the last year probably contained this peanut crap.
And thank goodness it hasn’t apparently reached actual peanut butter - cause if it did - I’d probably be DEAD!
Comment by 2CatMom — February 6, 2009 @ 8:33 am
I am not surprised that we have foods dating back TWO YEARS or more that are being recalled. That means we have likely had a massive problem that they didn’t detect OR did nothing about when they did detect it. So much for the FDA protecting the public.
And it means that the public out here has probably often been poisoned with salmonella when they thought they had the “flu” or other intestinal upset.
So this plant was cited years prior for holes in the roof and prior problems and here we are again? How come such problems don’t generate such fines and criminal charges that no company would even think of not correcting such problems and in a timely manner? And how come such findings would not generate follow up inspections by authorities until they are satisfied that they saw the problems have been corrected? And are the people who permitted this to happen AGAIN going to be loosing their jobs? And if not, WHY?
Comment by Dennis — February 6, 2009 @ 1:22 pm
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/c.....tId=288997
snip:
The most embarrassing headline came Wednesday when China Daily reported that the country that introduced melamine contaminated dairy products and pet food to the world has banned imports from 11 U.S.-based food companies whose products have been tainted with PCA’s salmonella laden peanut butter or paste. The Chinese newspaper said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine’s list starts with the Peanut Corporation of America and even includes Kellogg. Upon hearing that news, Tony the Tiger slinked back into the jungle, too embarrassed to show his face in his home town of Battle Creek.
Comment by Carol V — February 6, 2009 @ 1:49 pm
Whole Foods recalls bulk peanut products. Yeah, I’m feeling sooooo good about paying extra to shop there in the feeble and dwindling belief that they’re not sourcing their crap the same place everyone else does.
The problem isn’t the Peanut Corporation of America, Menu Foods et al (although the people who let this happen belong in jail).
The problem is a centralized, industrialized food industry.
:::slamming head on desk::::
Comment by Gina Spadafori — February 6, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
I just went to Whole Foods today and saw their bulk peanut butter on sale. I was not tempted to buy any.
Last year I bought a health bar there which contained peanut butter. It made me sick, so I decided peanut butter was not for me. I thought I had an allergic reaction.
I whole heartedly agree a centralized, industrialized food industry is a Big Problem for the American people.
How many more Americans have to die because of the slow-moving FDA and the lack of having full enforcement powers to shut down erring companies. Also, having many more FDA inspectors could keep the death rate down!
Comment by Colorado Transplant — February 6, 2009 @ 3:55 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....a_outbreak
8 years before the FDA goes back to inspect….2001 major problems found…but no return inspection for 8 years…and lo and behold they find the same thing with dead insects and holes for rodents and an added plus… salmonella! yummy….
Comment by Carol V — February 6, 2009 @ 4:29 pm
Well, the FDA has much more important things to do than mere food safety! Let’s keep those drug companies and biotech firms happy, shall we?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....ed_animals
Comment by Anne T — February 6, 2009 @ 4:36 pm
A 2001 inspection found dead insects near peanuts and holes in the plant big enough for rodents to enter…and INSECTICIDES used near food..and the FDA sends ‘numbers crunchers’ to inspect. Shocking!
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Wo.....51-ap.html
FDA: Peanut Corp. knowingly shipped salmonella-tainted goods -
WASHINGTON - A Georgia peanut plant knowingly shipped salmonella-laced products as far back as 2007, at times sending out tainted products after tests confirmed contamination, according to inspection records released Friday.
Food and Drug Administration officials earlier had said Peanut Corp. of America waited for a second test to clear peanut butter and peanuts that initially were positive for salmonella. But the agency amended its report Friday, noting that the Blakely, Ga., plant actually shipped some products before receiving the second test and sold others after confirming salmonella.
Federal law forbids producing or shipping foods under conditions that could make it harmful to consumers’ health.
In 2007 the company shipped chopped peanuts on July 18 and 24 after salmonella was confirmed by private lab tests. Peanut Corp. sold products “on or after the positive salmonella results were obtained,” the FDA report states.
In other cases, the company didn’t wait for a second round of salmonella tests.
“In some instances, peanut products were shipped by (the company) prior to having assurance that the products were negative for salmonella,” said Michael Rogers, head of field investigations for the FDA.
Rogers said the FDA made the discovery after a more detailed analysis of records submitted by the company.
The salmonella outbreak has been blamed for at least eight deaths and 575 illnesses in 43 states. The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation. More than 1,550 products have been recalled in the United States, while almost 170 have been recalled in Canada.
No illnesses in Canada have been reported but a Canadian who purchased a product in the United States while travelling is among those who became ill.
A Peanut Corp. lawyer said the company is investigating what happened at the plant and had no comment on the latest FDA findings.
“We have not made a determination yet on liability,” said attorney Amy Rotenberg. “We are neither denying or admitting liability at this point. We are still investigating.”
Peanut Corp. previously said it “categorically denies any allegations” that it sought lab results that would put its products in a favourable light.
Problems at the Georgia plant are not new.
FDA inspectors also found in 2001 that products potentially were exposed to insecticides, one of several violations uncovered during the last visit federal officials made before the current food-poisoning scare, according to a report obtained by The Associated Press.
Also on Friday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he supports merging the country’s food-safety system into one agency. His department shares duties now with the FDA.
The Agriculture Department abruptly suspended all business with the company this week. It shipped some of the company’s potentially contaminated peanut butter and peanuts to eight states, including school lunch programs in California, Minnesota and Idaho in 2007. None of the states reported illnesses as a result of people eating the products, agency officials said.
Some of the problems FDA discovered at the plant in 2001 are similar to those found last month, when federal inspectors returned to the plant after nearly eight years. The 2001 inspection found dead insects near peanuts and holes in the plant big enough for rodents to enter.
The inspectors also discovered that workers at the plant used an insecticide fogger in food processing areas and didn’t wash the exposed equipment. They also found dirty duct tape wrapped on broken equipment.
FDA inspectors did not find evidence of insecticides in peanuts at the plant during that visit. Company officials told them the fogger was last used two weeks earlier, according to the inspection report.
The Agriculture Department was one of Peanut Corp.’s two biggest clients at the time. Department officials also regularly visited the plant, including in recent years. But those agency workers were not trained to perform food safety inspections, department spokesman Jerry Redding said.
The visits to the plant were made by “contract auditors” who are “number crunchers” who know nothing about peanuts, Redding said. They only visited to review records, he said.
Plant owner Stewart Parnell told FDA inspectors in 2001 that Agriculture Department officials knew about the insecticide fogger and approved use of the duct tape on broken equipment, the FDA inspection report says.
The insecticide fogger discovered by inspectors noted on its labels that any exposed equipment should be thoroughly washed after use. Plant workers covered some areas, and told inspectors that no peanuts were in any equipment when the foggers were used at night.
The plant manager told inspectors that workers didn’t clean the exposed areas and didn’t realize the insecticide couldn’t be used around food.
Parnell promised that he would correct the problems because he “wanted to assure us that he wanted his firm to be in compliance,” FDA inspectors wrote.
Parnell told inspectors that the insecticide’s “labelling had been changed and they had not been aware of the change,” according to the FDA report. (WHAT..so it’s okay to use insecticides around food since label doesn’t say not to?)
Parnell and the plant manager said the company was assured by the insecticide supplier that the chemical was safe for use in food areas.
FDA officials said Friday the company was allowed in 2001 to fix the problems on its own because the inspection showed no evidence that finished products were being contaminated.
Comment by Barb — February 6, 2009 @ 6:43 pm
Just wondered if this company is still shipping its goods anywhere.
I guess you just don’t shut down a company that harms so many—and only a few people met their maker, anyway.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — February 6, 2009 @ 9:14 pm
I wonder, do you ever wonder, if the FDA _official_ death toll from the peanut butter is as accurate as the mere 16 deaths from the pet food?
Just saying.
Comment by Imissmypets — February 7, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
Don’t know if they’ve been shut down but USDA just today ceased doing business with them.
07/02/2009 00:11:50
United States-The Salmonella scandal
Department of Agriculture today announced that it is suspending, and proposing to debar, Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) and its subsidiary Tidewater Blanching LLC from doing business with the federal government. Effective immediately, PCA is excluded from participating in government contracts or subcontracts, as well as federal non procurement programs. PCA will also be excluded from doing business as agents or representatives of other contractors, including serving as a subcontractor to other individuals or companies doing business with the government.
The suspension will remain in effect for one year and the debarment is proposed for three years, beginning today.
“The actions of PCA indicate that the company lacks business integrity and business honesty, which seriously and directly hinders its ability to do business with the federal government,” said David Shipman, Acting Administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
Federal agencies are required to only conduct business with responsible contractors. PCA is being suspended, and its debarment is proposed, based on reports of evidence obtained by Minnesota and Connecticut state officials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that the sources of a current outbreak of illnesses caused by Salmonella are peanut butter and peanut paste produced or processed by PCA.
Within 30 days after receipt of the letter of suspension and proposed debarment, PCA may submit any information or argument in opposition to the actions being taken.
In a separate action, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack removed Stewart Parnell, President and CEO of the Peanut Corporation of America, as a member of USDA’s Peanut Standards Board. The Board advises the Secretary on quality and handling standards for domestic and imported peanuts marketed in the United States. Board members are expected to conduct themselves appropriately as appointees of the Federal Government to serve their industry and the public.
http://www.farminguk.com/news/......11111.asp
Comment by Barb — February 7, 2009 @ 2:43 pm
Thanks for your posting, Barb.
Seems like some serious action is going on as regards to Stewart Parnell and the Peanut Corp. of America.
I am still getting e-mails from the FDA about more peanut butter recalls from different retailers.
Good I don’t knowingly eat peanut butter. However, as a U.S. citizen, I worry about my fellow man and woman—‘cause I think food should nourish, not sicken, man and animals.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — February 9, 2009 @ 12:28 pm
Not sure if this was posted earlier, but here’s an article on the first dog sickened by tainted peanuts.
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/.....4dc3a.html
Tainted-peanut treats blamed for salmonella in Oregon dog
03:55 PM PST on Friday, February 6, 2009
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon veterinarians identified the first case of peanut-linked salmonella poisoning in a dog.
State Public Health Veterinarian Emilio DeBess reported the first confirmed case of Salmonella infection in an Oakland, Oregon dog that ate Happy Tails dog biscuits from Albertsons.
Happy Tails dog biscuits and other pet treats containing peanut ingredients made by Peanut Corporation of America were recalled due to potential contamination.
In late January, Albertsons/SUPERVALU the multi-flavored dog biscuits:
Happy Tails Multi-Flavored Dog Biscuits, 26 oz, UPC: 41163-42406
Happy Tails Multi-Flavored Dog Biscuits, 4 lb, UPC: 41163-42403
Other affected brands include: Healthy Hide, Shoppers Valu, Carolina Prime Pet, Salix, Grreat Choice and Happy Tails.
Vets say pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.
The OVMA cautioned pet owners to wash their hands after touching dogs who are sick because of the potential of bacterial transmission.
The massive callback includes some 900 separate food products because of a single Georgia peanut supplier pinpointed as the source of a salmonella outbreak.
The salmonella outbreak has sickened nearly 600 people and has been linked to eight deaths nationwide.
Supermarket chains are being urged to put their widespread discount-card programs to use notifying customers of recalls.
Comment by Barb — February 9, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
Tainted peanut products … that’s an important distinction to make. So far, this is all coming from the same source, ingredients produced for many companies from one plant in Georgia.
Oregon State Public Health Veterinarian Emilio DeBess, by the way, was one of the heroes of the pet-food recall. The man steps up and tells it like it is, and politics be damned.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — February 9, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
Thanks for clarifying Gina, I did mean to write peanut ‘products.’
Here’s an interesting interview with Seattle Food Safety Lawyer, Bill Maler, talking on this subject a few days ago. The future doesn’t look so bright:
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/c.....tId=288997
Comment by Barb — February 9, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
Okay, I realize this is a bit off topic but things are really getting out of hand. I closely follow CWD, BSE, etc., and that this particular Elk meat went into the food chain is shocking!
Exotic Meats USA Announces Urgent Statewide Recall of Elk Tenderloin Because It May Contain Meat Derived From An Elk Confirmed To Have Chronic Wasting Disease
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmr.....02_09.html
Fortunately, only 6 packs were sold.
Comment by Barb — February 9, 2009 @ 5:21 pm
Holy something totally fecal.
Comment by Christie Keith — February 9, 2009 @ 5:29 pm
I am getting sick just thinking about the food chain——Help, Mr. President!
Comment by Colorado Transplant — February 9, 2009 @ 8:35 pm
FBI raids Georgia Peanut Plant
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/.....index.html
Comment by The OTHER Pat — February 10, 2009 @ 3:57 am
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02.....wanted=all
“But even ConAgra may only go so far. Asked if the company would notify the Food and Drug Administration on its own if it finds salmonella, the company’s spokeswoman, Stephanie K. Childs, said: “Your question is new for us. It’s one the company is considering.””
This just might get your BP up this am…it did mine and I sent it off to whitehouse.gov as an example of one of the many issues that needs to be fixed by somebody!
Comment by Carol V — February 10, 2009 @ 5:20 am