We know there’s salmonella story fatigue setting in, but this new overview from yesterday’s Senate hearing is the best yet as far as piecing together exactly how salmonella-tainted peanut butter made it into our food supply for such a long period of time, and why it took so long to trace it back to a single rotten peanut plant in Georgia. Ultimately the blame lies with Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) for failing to maintain its factory and for not destroying lots that tested positive for salmonella, but both the FDA and the CDC had a role in it, too. One example: the FDA didn’t even know the plant produced peanut butter or peanut paste until 2007.
So, Who's To Blame For The Salmonella Outbreak? PCA, The FDA, The CDC…
By February 6, 2009
FEMA Food May Contain Salmonella Peanut Butter
By February 5, 2009
Food kits distributed by FEMA as part of a disaster relief effort in Kentucky and Arkansas may contain some of that awesome salmonella peanut butter we’ve been hearing so much about.
Peanut Corp Says Salmonella Plant Was Regularly Inspected, Given Good Ratings
By February 4, 2009
Peanut Corp. of America is now saying that its Georgia plant was regularly inspected by the FDA and given a “meets or exceeds” rating. This doesn’t excuse the company from its own failings, but we think it points out what President Obama recently noted, which is that the FDA inspection system doesn’t seem to work very well.
By February 2, 2009
The FDA has announced more salmonella peanut butter recalls in the past few days — including items from Kroger and Walgreens. Click here for the updated info. Regular jars of peanut butter are not affected.
Senator And Representative Call For Criminal Investigation Of Salmonella Peanut Company
By January 30, 2009
Responding to FDA reports that the company responsible for the salmonella-tainted peanut butter that has infected over 500 people knew its products were contaminated, two members of Congress have called for a criminal investigation into Peanut Corporation of America .
How Unscrupulous Food Manufacturers Manipulate Lab Tests
By January 29, 2009
In yesterday’s Peanut Corp. post, our commenter microguy07828 left a detailed explanation of how food manufacturers sometimes play dirty when it comes to getting the lab results they want on a product. We though it deserved more visibility in light of yesterday’s accusation that the Peanut Corp. of America knowingly shipped tainted peanut butter. As microguy07828 puts it, it “happens more often than you would think.”
Peanut Corp. of America Knowingly Shipped Tainted Peanut Butter
By January 29, 2009
The news about Peanut Corp. of America’s complete abandonment of food safety gets worse: now it seems that the company knew its peanut butter had salmonella, but shipped it anyway. When the product tested positive, the company shopped around for another lab to provide “acceptable” results.
Salmonella Peanut Butter Plant Repeatedly Violated Health Codes
By January 26, 2009
The Georgia peanut plant responsible for the salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 500 and killed at least 7 was repeatedly cited with health code violations for being “not properly cleaned and sanitized.”
Salmonella Spares Nation's Critical Supply Of Do-Si-Dos
By January 21, 2009
Fear not, cookie monsters, the Girl Scouts say their eponymous wares are not affected by the salmonella-infected peanut butter responsible for at least 453 illnesses and 5 deaths. [Press Release] (Photo: tracyhunter)
453 Illnesses, 5 Deaths Connected To Tainted Peanut Butter
By January 20, 2009
The peanut butter recalls just keep on coming — as an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened 453 people and contributed to 5 deaths in 43 states continues.
By January 19, 2009
Another peanut butter recall: Wal-Mart Bakery Brand Peanut Butter Cookies.
As Salmonella Recall Expands, FDA Warns Consumers To "Postpone Eating" Many Peanut Butter Products
By January 18, 2009
The FDA still hasn’t tracked down all that yummy salmonella-contaminated peanut butter, and until they do, they want consumers to stop eating all “commercially-prepared or manufactured peanut butter-containing products and institutionally-served peanut butter.” No, this doesn’t mean the jar of Skippy on your shelf, but it does seem to cover cookies, cakes, and ice cream; pretty much any shrink-wrapped peanut butter snack.
Kellogg: "Please Don't Eat Our Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers"
By January 15, 2009
Can’t make it to your local prison, hospital, or school cafeteria to get in on this year’s peanut butter salmonella craze? Kellogg may have you covered at the nearest snack vending machine. The company has announced that it doesn’t want anyone eating its Keebler and Austin brand peanut butter crackers right now while it investigates whether they’re action packed with salmonella stowaways.
Salmonella Peanut Butter Explains Some, But Not All Illnesses
By January 14, 2009
For those of you following along with the 3-month-long salmonella outbreak — the Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed that the strain of salmonella in the commercial peanut butter is the same as the one causing the outbreak.
There's Salmonella In The Peanut Butter… Again
By January 12, 2009
For the past three months or so, the FDA and the CDC have been working to find the source of an outbreak of salmonella typhimurium that has sickened at least 400 people nationwide. Now the Minnesota Department of Health thinks they may have found the answer in a jar of institutional peanut butter not sold to the public.
Peanut Butter, Dessert Of The Year
By December 10, 2008
You know things are bad when Bon Appetit names “peanut butter” as “dessert of the year.” Wait ’til you see what fancy restaurants are doing with Hamburger Helper! [Bon Appetit] (Photo: Derek Purdy)
'No Need To Stir' Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Requires Stirring, Or A Straw
By September 2, 2008
As any convenience-seeking American knows, the bane of natural peanut butter is its tendency to separate into an unspreadable sludge of crushed peanut and an eager-to-spill pond of oil. You have to stir the two together to get back to the peanut butter texture you’ve come to expect from the hybridized brands. Skippy says they’ve solved the problem, but based on the two jars one customer bought, they’re plain nuts (wocka wocka!).
Grocery Shrink Ray Zaps Skippy Natural Peanut Butter
By July 18, 2008
Pew! Pew! Grocery Shrink Ray zapped Skippy Natural Peanut Butter. You know what’s really going to be something? When they start raising the prices on all the products they shrunk. Then we’ll see some real purchasing power loss.
