Massive Peanut Recall

Tied to contamination in a Peanut Butter Corporation of America plant, at least 575 people have become sick, and eight people in 43 states have died in an outbreak of food poisoning from eating products containing peanuts. This outbreak caused by Salmonella typhimurium in peanut butter, peanut paste, and peanut meal from the Blakely Georgia plant has led to massive peanut recalls across the US.

So far, the recall involves more than 1,554 different products.

On their website, a press release contains their apology LYNCHBURG, Va. (February 4, 2009) -- "Peanut Corporation of America continues to be deeply concerned about those who have been affected by salmonella contamination in the past weeks. The product recalls issued by our company continue to expeditiously remove all potentially harmful products from the marketplace, in the best interest of the public safety." Peanuts are host to a number of natural contaminants, such as aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin and salmonella. Aflatoxin is a human carcinogen and a naturally occurring toxic metabolite produced by Aspergillus flavis.

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports indicate a type of Salmonella called Salmonella Typhimurium. Tests indicate that the people who became sick may have eaten the same contaminated food, because they were infected with the same strain of Salmonella Typhimurium (i.e., the strain of Salmonella shared the same genetic "fingerprint"). A battery of epidemiological analysis and laboratory testing was done by state officials in Minnesota and Connecticut.

The FDA confirms that the sources of the outbreak of illnesses caused by Salmonella Typhimurium are peanut butter and peanut paste produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) at its Blakely, Georgia processing plant. Inspection reports are available to the public. As of this date, lab reports not only confirm contamination, they also may be crucial in a criminal investigation of PCA.

Salmonella symptoms, which appear one to four hours after eating peanuts, peanut butter products or baked goods containin contaminated peanut butter, include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and fever. Healthy people might dismiss it as the flu, but in older people, small children and those with compromised immune systems, salmonellosis and its complications can be deadly.

Masry & Vititoe is investigating claims regarding tainted peanut butter. If you think you may have been affected by this salmonella outbreak and are considering legal action, it might be better to hold on to the telltale packaging and receipts. While you don't need the jar to prove you contracted salmonella from the recalled peanut butter, it could be valuable evidence in a food-borne illness lawsuit. If you don't have the jar, you can also have a stool sample tested to prove you were sick and to look for the specific strain of salmonella involved. The next step is to contact an attorney experienced in personal injury and unsafe products cases to discuss the injuries and damages you sustained. There are indications that the company had information that its peanut-butter products were tainted with salmonella but shipped them anyway. On February 7, it was revealed that the company shipped the tainted products even before the re-test results came back from an outside company. In any case, the initial positive result means that the product should have been destroyed If you were injured, you deserve compensation. Please call or email our firm to arrange a consultation.

Masry and Vititoe maintains a current US product recall page.

References

• WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2009 – The U.S. 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.
• Officials at the food plant in Blakely, Ga., responsible for the nationwide salmonella outbreak, knowingly shipped contaminated peanut butter and did not do anything to correct the mold growing on their walls and ceilings
• Mold and Roaches Found in Peanut Butter Plant Linked to Salmonella
• FDA report finds multiple problems at peanut plant
• Source of salmonella outbreak under investigation; also, possibly tainted products shipped to schools in 3 states.
• FDA RECALL

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