Local Officials to Inspect Food Plants

In response to the recent salmonella outbreak in peanut products, the Georgia House passed a bill allowing the State Agriculture Commission to deputize county and city health workers to inspect food processing plants.


One of the big complaints from the state Agriculture commission is that they may have missed the signs because they don't have enough food safety inspectors. HB 381 would allow the state to commission local health inspectors to poke around the approximately five hundred fifty food manufacturers. Republican Representative Terry England of Auburn says these local health workers would only visit facilities.

"They’re not allowed at any point to shut an operation down, but if they find something suspicious they are to notify the department of agriculture."

The bill does not lay out how these local workers will be trained to spot defects at manufacturing plants. These local inspectors would also need to know if a food processor is violating federal rules and report those concerns to federal authorities. The salmonella outbreak is blamed for nine deaths.

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PCA Owner Refuses to Testify at Congressional Hearing

The owner of a peanut company blamed for a salmonella outbreak has appeared before a House subcommittee, but is refusing to testify. Lawmakers ordered Peanut Corporation of America owner Stewart Parnell to appear at the hearing Wednesday.

He showed up, but refused to answer questions, invoking his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.

Earlier, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released the company's internal correspondence showing that Parnell was ordering tainted products to be sold even after confirmation of salmonella. Parnell complains in e-mails about losing money and says he's frustrated by the delay in shipping products.

The salmonella outbreak has resulted in 600 illnesses and is now linked to nine deaths across the country. A federal criminal investigation is under way.

(Associated Press)

PCA Employees Come Forward With Details

Employees at the Peanut Corporation of America’s Blakely plant are coming forward to fill in details about the unsanitary conditions.

In separate interviews, four employees say 55 gallon drums were used to collect water falling from the roof on rainy days, and that an inoperable freezer covered in mildew stored peanut products.

The holes in the roof were so large, it was common for birds to fly in to the facility, says former plant janitor Anne Bristow.

"If I would see a bird, I’d go and tell [the manager]. They would normally be in the box room. He’d go and get his little pellet gun and shoot. "

Another employee confirmed Bristow’s account, and added that instead of fixing the holes in the roof, the company bought decoy owls and mounted them around the building in an attempt to scare animals away.

Through statements, PCA says they followed the law, but have not returned calls to respond to these claims.

Perdue: Peanut Company Broke a 'Sacred Trust'

Governor Sonny Perdue on Wednesday said a “sacred trust,” was broken between the Peanut Corporation of America and consumers over the spreading salmonella debacle at the company’s Blakely plant.

Perdue and state agriculture officials are circling the peanut wagons and throwing their full backing behind Georgia’s farmers, food producers and distributors.


Governor Sonny Perdue makes a point to the several hundred industry leaders, farmers and legislators at the Georgia Agribusiness Council State Legislative Breakfast, held in downtown Atlanta on Feb. 4, 2009. (Photo: Dave Bender)

At a Georgia Agribusiness Council State Legislative Breakfast, Perdue told several hundred industry leaders:

“When people violate that sacred chain of food safety control, they will be prosecuted and held accountable; it is too important not to…(applause)”

Perdue faced a room packed with a veritable roll-call of food and ag industry officials.

Many worry that the an spreading peanut recall could prompt an already uncertain public could shun other preach-state-grown-and-produced foods.

Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin, says his department will reorganize to face the daunting task of better monitoring farms and factories across the state:

”Our inspectors have 16,000 facilities they have to inspect. You have to do that today with 60 employees – it’s impossible to give the necessary coverage that, apparently, we need.”

Irvin says his office will ask the legislature to establish a division to deal exclusively with checking processed foods.

The General Assembly is already mulling a mandatory food-testing bill.

Perdue, however, says no amount of externally-enforced inspections can replace a responsible food industry:

“In the food chain, there is a voluntary compliance: we share a sacred trust of safety among our producers, processors, preparers and servers of food – and you cannot be everywhere at one time.”

House Speaker Bill Richardson holds up a bag of Georgia peanuts, during his comments at the Georgia Agribusiness Council State Legislative Breakfast, held in downtown Atlanta on Feb. 4, 2009. (Photo: Dave Bender)

To make a point of that trust, House Speaker Glenn Richardson held up a small bag of Georgia peanuts as he stood behind the podium:

"One of the fringe benefits of being at the capitol, is [that] the Department of Agriculture brings these Georgia peanuts by (opens foil packet); they leave them at our office. And everybody that comes to our office loves these, and you know what?… (eants a few peanuts) I love Georgia peanuts. (applause).”

And those Georgia peanuts make up almost half of all peanuts used in the United States.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the salmonella-tainted peanut products.

Georgia On It's Way to Becoming Food Regs Leader

The Georgia General Assembly is considering a bill that would require mandatory testing for harmful pathogens at food warehouses, manufacturing plants and "food sales establishments."

All test results would be sent to state officials.

Similar plans have been floated before, mainly by critics of the current food safety system. Generally, those proposals follow large scale outbreaks and huge recalls.

Each time, the food and agricultural industry, even in the height of "crisis," have fought back mandatory testing.

And making those results public by forking them over to state officials has been a non starter.

Large firms have argued the measures aren't necessary as testing protocol often already exists. Small firms and family run operations have successfully lobbied against similar measures in California, telling lawmakers the tests will cut their bottom line.

So it's a big deal when Georgia looks to become a leader in food testing regulations.

"It's a great first step," said lawyer Bill Marler. He's suing the company at the center of the recent outbreak of salmonella in peanut products. "Not perfect, not enough, but a start" Marler wrote on his blog.

The bill would give the Georgia Agricultural Commissioner the power to set up the specific guidelines. Tests would need to happen once a year, at minimum.

Peanut Corporation of America, the operators of the now closed Blakely facility, have been accused by the Food and Drug Administration of knowingly shipping tainted product for distribution. The company disputes those charges, and says the FDA's report is inaccurate.

So far eight deaths have been attributed to the tainted peanut products.

“When people’s lives are at stake, food safety inspections should not be subject to lax regulations,” said Republican Sen. John Bulloch, who introduced the legislation.

“Consumers must be assured their food is safe and we must protect the integrity of Georgia’s producers. Much of our economy depends on the state’s agriculture industry, which cannot afford to suffer the negative impacts of food recalls.”

Peanut Problems Compound

As the salmonella recall of products containing peanut butter continues to expand, a Washington state lawyer is calling on the company with Georgia operations to pay funeral costs for the six people believed to have died from the outbreak.

That comes as Virginia based Peanut Corporation of America announced it's laying off the majority of it's workforce.

Bill Marler filed suit against PCA. The Seattle based lawyer represents the family of a person believed to have died as a result of consuming salmonella laced products processed at the Georgia's company's plant. In addition to asking PCA to cover hospital and funeral costs for those sickened by the outbreak, Marler also wants to investigate claims crack in the peanut processing machinery led to the salmonella contamination.

"We'll be asking the court to allow us entry into the facility so we can have our experts doing our own investigation as to why this outbreak occurred."

State and Federal health officials are currently investigating the cause of the outbreak.

Over 180 products, from snack crackers to protein bars, have been recalled.

Marler's entry into the case signals the large size and scope of this outbreak. He specializes in class action food borne illness cases, and litigated the 2006 E. Coli outbreak in spinach. California farming company executives literally cursed his name during that outbreak, which crippled the California agricultural industry. Marler says there are similarities in the two cases.

"Death cases in spinach were four, this one six. Yet, the other people who become ill, even though the numbers are bigger, the severity of the illnesses for salmonella tend to be substantially less, fortunately."

Marler has negotiated similar settlements for millions of dollars.

The potential cost, and current investigation, might be one reason PCA laid off a majority of it's workforce at the Blakely plant. Workers showed up to the plant yesterday to locked doors. It was only today the company president announced through a statement just three managers would remain on staff to aid the investigation. It's unclear exactly how many workers were let go, although the plant employs between 45-50 people, according to the local chamber of commerce.

Little Debbie Peanut Butter Crackers Recalled

"Peanut Proud:" Blakely City Hall. (Dave Bender/file)

Now it's some Little Debbie peanut butter crackers that are being recalled because there's a chance of salmonella contamination.

That's the word Sunday from McKee Foods Corp. of Collegedale, Tenn.

The voluntary recall covers all sizes of two kinds of sandwich crackers - Little Debbie peanut butter toasty crackers and Little Debbie peanut butter cheese crackers.

The company says no other Little Debbie products are involved in the recall. McKee says it acted because the crackers have the potential to be contaminated.

Federal health authorities on Saturday urged consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other foods that contain peanut butter until authorities can learn more about a deadly outbreak of salmonella contamination.

Federal food safety officials say 85 food companies have purchased peanut products from the Georgia facility under investigation in the latest salmonella outbreak. The Food and Drug Administration says 30 companies have been contacted and urged to test their products.

Officials are focusing on peanut paste, as well as peanut butter, produced at the Blakely, Ga., facility owned by Peanut Corp. of America.

"We urge consumers to postpone eating any products that may contain peanut butter until additional information becomes available," said Stephen Sundlof, head of the Food and Drug Administration's food safety center.

But most peanut butter sold in jars at supermarkets appears to be safe, Sundlof said.

Here's a list of products voluntarily recalled by the Kellogg Co. because they could be contaminated with salmonella from the Blakely peanut processing facility:

• Austin Quality Foods Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Mega Stuffed Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods PB & J Cracker Sandwiches - all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Super Snack Pack Sandwich Crackers
• Austin Quality Foods Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes
• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
• Austin Quality Foods Reduced Fat Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
• Austin Quality Foods Cookie/Cracker Pack
• Austin Quality Foods Variety Pack
• Keebler Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
• Keebler Toast & PB'n J Flavored Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
• Keebler Toast & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
• Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies (2- and 3-ounce)
• Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies (2.5-ounce)

(AP)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of this issue.

Blakeley Peanut Plant Halts Production Over Salmonella Outbreak

"Peanut Proud:" Blakeley City Hall. (Dave Bender/file)

A peanut butter maker with a plant in southwest Georgia has stopped production. The move comes after a string of food poisoning incidents.

"PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA... HAS ANNOUNCED A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF PEANUT BUTTER PRODUCED IN ITS BLAKELEY, GEORGIA PROCESSING FACILITY," a recording on a PCA hotline said.

Officials at PCA say they're cooperating with a Food and Drug Administration investigation.

FDA officials say salmonella-tainted peanut butter has killed three people in Virginia and Minnesota, and sickened some 400 others in 42 states since last fall.

The company is voluntarily recalling all of their "King Nut" and "Parnell's Pride," commercial peanut butter batches nationwide.

The company says about 1,000 cases went out to restaurants and institutions, and were not sold directly to consumers.

The recall is taking place as the 33rd annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show opens in Albany on Thursday.

Organizers say they expect to host some 1,500 industry officials and local farmers at the day-long event.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of previous similar food poisoning incidents.

Demand for Georgia peanuts going up

Georgia peanut farmers will need to plant more crops this year in order to meet demand around the world. Prices for the official state crop are going up as well.

China, normally one of the world's largest suppliers of peanuts, will not export any. The weak U.S. dollar also makes peanuts a bargain for places like Europe and Japan.

U.S. energy policy has affected peanut prices as well. Energy and world demand for food have driven up grain and soybean prices. Crops are competing for farmland with ethanol production.

Another factor, the recession. During tough economic times people consume more peanut butter. Demand is up 24% over this time last year.

Georgia's 2-billion dollar peanut industry produces 50-thousand jobs and 45% of all peanuts grown in the United States.