Earlier this morning, it was reported that salmonella peanut company PCA "voluntarily suspended operations" at its Texas plant which operated unlicensed and uninspected since at least 2005. Over all that time, PCA was still shipping peanut products to food companies and institutions (I want to know who was buying them?!).
Apparently, PCA didn't shut down their Texas plant out of civic duty while the federal criminal investigation continues into their poisoning of Americans. They shut down their Texas plant because more salmonella was just found in samples of peanuts taken there just 6 days ago -
Peanut Corporation of America shuttered its Plainview, Texas plant last night at the request of state health officials, said Doug McBride, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. The action came after laboratory results from samples taken on Feb. 4 of roasted peanuts, peanut meal and granulated peanuts were positive for salmonella.
More below the fold...
This is from the unlicensed, uninspected Texas PCA peanut processing plant that was previously said to have no contamination present -
The bacteria were discovered before the affected granulated peanuts and peanut meal had left the Texas plant but after contaminated roasted peanuts had been shipped out of state, McBride said. Company officials notified the distributor last night and recalled the roasted peanuts, he said.
I'm having trouble believing this, but it's apparently true. During all this...PCA was still shipping salmonella-contaminated peanuts!
Our food safety system is broken. We need that Change, and we need it now.
Also, here's a great roundup from OrangeClouds115 of the latest peanut butter news up until yesterday.
The latest peanut butter recall news can be found here, and the current list of recalled products is also available at the FDA's site.