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PCA Shuts Second Peanut Plant In Salmonella Scare

Texas plant closed after tests find possible contamination

February 11, 2009

• Complete List of Recalled Products --- • Texas Fines Peanut Plant $14.6 Million For Violations • Lawmakers Chastise Food Executives Over Salmonella Outbreak • Source of Salmonella Contamination in Peanut Butter May Be Found • More Pet Foods Added to Salmonella Recall • Peanut Recall Expanded To "All Ingredients" • Peanut Corporation of America Files for Bankruptcy • PCA Shuts Second Peanut Plant In Salmonella Scare • Peanut Butter Recall Claims Still More Products • Ice Cream, Cookies, Donuts Join the Massive Peanut Butter Recall List • Peanut Recall Expands as Feds Release Findings • Congresswoman Demands Peanut Probe • Feds: Peanut Corporation Knew of Salmonella Problem • Dozens More Peanut Butter Products Recalled • NutriSystem Joins Peanut Butter Recall • Peanut Butter Dog Treats Recalled Due to Salmonella • Peanut Butter Health Bars Recalled • Peanut Butter Recall List Grows • Peanut Butter Recall Spreads To More Products • Kellogg Puts Peanut Butter Crackers "On Hold" Due to Salmonella Concerns • Peanut Butter Recalled Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination • King Nut Issues Peanut Butter Recall • Consumer Complaints about Peanut Butter --- Earlier stories • Judge Nixes Peanut Butter Class Action • FDA Failed to Follow Up on 2004 Peanut Butter Contamination • Peter Pan Returning To Store Shelves • Consumers Still Getting Sick From Tainted Peanut Butter • Fourth Peanut Butter Death Reported • Peanut Butter Recall Extended to Products Made as Early as 2004 • Peanut Butter Scare Stirs Congress • Consumers Left Holding the Peanut Butter Jar • Earlier Peanut Butter Contamination Kept Quiet • Peanut Butter Developed as a Health Food • Third Death Blamed on Peanut Butter • Peanut Butter Recalls Spread to Ice Cream & Desserts • FDA Says Peanut Butter Salmonella Outbreak Is "Ongoing" • Salmonella Confirmed in Peanut Butter • Second Death Linked To Tainted Peanut Butter • Death Linked To Tainted Peanut Butter • ConAgra Recalls Tainted Peanut Butter as Complaints Mount • FDA Widens Peanut Butter Warning • Reports of Peanut Butter-Borne Illness Increase • FDA Warns of Salmonella in Peanut Butter --- • Consumer Complaints about Peanut Butter --- • Salmonella: What It Is • More about Food Safety ...

Peanut Corporation of America, the company at the heart of the spreading salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter, has closed a second plant, this one in Texas.

The Texas Department of State Health Services asked the company to close the Plainview, Texas plant after laboratory tests of sample products from the plant indicated the possible presence of Salmonella in some products. PCA discovered the problem and notified the Texas Department of State Health Services of the findings on Monday, the agency said.

DSHS officials said it does not appear that any of the implicated products – peanut meal, granulated peanuts and dry roasted peanuts – have reached consumers. The testing was done by a private lab under contract with PCA.

The peanut meal and granulated peanuts had not been shipped out of the Plainview facility. The dry roasted peanuts had been shipped to a distributor but were detained and recalled before further distribution.

Officials said it is not yet known if the Salmonella possibly found in the product testing is the same strain of the bacterium implicated in a 43-state outbreak of salmonellosis.

DSHS is developing specific criteria the company must meet before it can resume production and is not aware of any illnesses associated with products from the Plainview facility.

PCA owns three peanut processing plants, in Texas, Georgia and Virginia. The outbreak investigation has centered on the PCA facility in Blakely, Georgia.

The Centers for Disease Control said it is continuing its investigation and the Food and Drug Administration said more products containing peanut butter are being recalled. To date, eight deaths are linked to the outbreak while 600 others have reportedly been sickened in 44 states.

The FDA has a complete list of all products recalled in the salmonella outbreak on its Web site. Consumers can check that Web site daily to see if their favorite products are included in any recalls.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare cases, it can cause more severe illnesses, including arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.

PCA's products are not sold directly to consumers. They are distributed to long-term care facilities, universities, food service industries, and private label food companies in the United States, Canada, Haiti, Korea, and Trinidad.

U.S. food makers, however, use the company's peanut butter and paste to make cookies, crackers, ice cream, energy bars, and other products.

Some pet food makers also use PCA products. That's why health officials have warned pet owners that salmonella can be transferred to humans who handle these products. Pet owners are advised to wash their hands after they come touch these pet treats.

Symptoms of salmonella infection in pets include lethargy, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets, however, may have a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.

None of the major brands of peanut butter sold on grocery stores shelves are included in any of the current salmonella-peanut butter recalls. The makers of Jif, Skippy, and Peanut Pan peanut butters continue to remind consumers that their products are safe to eat.

Consumers respond

Here are verbatim reports from consumers who've encountered problems with peanut butter-based foods in 2009:

William of Chipley, FL February 2, 2009

fri. 1/30/2009 I baked several batches of these cookies for my family-me, my husband, and 3 children-and by saturday morning my children were very sick with diarrhea, and vomiting, and stomach cramps. I just assumed they had eaten too many cookies, just as most kids do, but by sunday morning, I and my husband were the same. Spending most of the day in the rest room. I believe there may be something wrong with this product, but am unable to find it on your re-call lists. Please let us know if it has anything to do with this salomonela OUTBREAK. THANK YOU for your prompt attention to this matter.

children are scared to death to eat cookies in fear that they will make them sick too! and I bought 10 tubs of these cookies from my children for a fundraiser for our local school.

Allison of Calera, AL January 29, 2009

I have been eating Clif Bars with Peanut Butter, Balance Zone with peanut butter and Kashi Go Lean Bars with Peanut Butter for a long time. Recently I beacame very ill. The diarrhea started on 1-23-09. Everything I ate would cramp me and instant diarrhea. This went on all weeekend. Monday, the 26th, I went to my family doctor after this condition turned into blood. He prescribed Vancomycin Oral Capsule. Went to CVS that day with the prescription. They did not have it in stock. Cost of scrip was over 800.00. ALL I needed from my insurance company was a PPA and this med would be paid for, costing me only 6.00. That night I started to vomit along with the bloody diarrhea. I went to the hospital. Positive Cdiff stool test. Got two doses of vancomycin, delauttid and sent on my way at 3:15 a.m. Threw it up on the home. Got home at 4:00 a.m. Threw up again.

I ended up calling 911 to take me to the same hospital the next day with the same symptoms. Still no PPA for vancomycin. Asked for a social worker to help me or a lawyer. Immmediately discharged. Called my family doctor, told to go to another hospital. Admitted in ER. Told ER physician symptoms and thought it could be from bars. Given morphine and zofran. CAT scan of my abdomen done. Gastro doctor admitted me and ordered tests. Stayed overnight. So sick, my room had to be disinfected while I was in it. Got stool sample for him. Had to get his office and a Case Worker from the hospital to get PPA for Vancomycin scrip.

Discharged on the 28th. Got vancomycin from CVS. Have not heard results of sample yet from him. Cost of overnight stay over 1,000.00. Could not pay. On medicare only and disability. I am still very sick and weak. PLEASE call me.

Susan of Livonia, MI January 28, 2009

I got flu like symptons after eating Little Ceasars break apart peanut butter cookies. Vomiting from from 2 am to 10 pm. Symptoms lingering for 2 weeks after. I baked 3 cookes. The rest box is still in my freezer.

Missed one day of work. Little Ceasars will replace the box of cookies.

Brandon of Reno, NV January 27, 2009

Purchased austin peanut butter crackers between 7/1/08-7/12/08. Hospitalized for diarea, vomiting, severe stomach cramps and vomiting blood on 9/2/09. Re-hydrated and drugged at ER and released the same day with a 10,000 bill.

1/26/09: Received letter from Costco indicating I purchased recalled items. I have several unopened packages of product to potentially be tested. There are a total of 3 different numbers stamped on their fronts starting with the letter P. Reported to Washoe CO. health dept. at time of sickness, and filed FDA consumer complaint on 1/26/09.

lost work time/reliability rating. emotional distress from the uncertainty. Loss of sleep. Fear of death entered the equation. Unknown physical damage to internal organs and their longevity.

Stacy of West Terre Haute, IN January 27, 2009

JANUARY 2ND 2008. I purchased Austin Peanut Butter Toasty Crackers. My 3 year old ate them. She became very ill within 12 hours. We took her to the ER where they said she has consumed the contaminated product. She was grey in color vomiting seizures and mmore. She was the only one in the home to eat the and was the only one to become ill. She has been a very healthy child and now she has a very bad cold and still loss of energy.

Yvonne of Seminole, FL January 26, 2009

I woke up with a wicked headache this morning so bad it hurts to walk, and than i realized i ate a pbj [peanut butter jelly] sandwhich last night , when i turned on my computer i got your email today and quickly thought i had tainted pb. i dont see it on the list but i am nervous, it is one that is affected, do you know anything about it?

migraine headache muscle aches back cramps

Nellie of Yonkers,Ny Hudson Park, NY January 25, 2009

on friday jan 23, 2009 i went into the lindt store in manhttan, my husband wanted to get me some chocolates for my birthday, the samples were of peanut butter, usually you can have a sample of any, i like dark chocolate, well the sales person said all they had was peanut butter, i feel ,that they were trying to get rid of their peanut butter choolates, during this time of recall can you investigate, i wound up buying what i usually get,, 60% dark

hopefully their peanut butter is not a risk to anyone, thank you

Linda of Crestline, CA January 24, 2009

I contacted Nutrisystem on January 23, 2009 in regards to recalled peanut butter granola bars. I purchased the nutrisystem plan through QVC and had received some of the recalled bars. The representative on the phone said I would need to provide them with a purchase order number, which I no longer had.

I asked if I could simply send them the offending bars for replacement. They said no they must have purchase order number. I was able to contact QVC and they were very kind and provided the number to me. I then called nutrisystem with the order number and they will be sending my replacement bars.

My problem with this is if something is recalled should'nt it be replaced no matter if you have a receipt or not. Not everyone keeps receipts for food. I think the focus should be to collect and destroy all of the offending product. Thank you for your time, I just needed to vent.

Stephen of Toluca Lake, CA January 21, 2009

Two weeks ago my daughter had a spiked high fever that led to febrile seizures and a trip to the emergency room. This was followed by a visit to my perdiatrician and then a week of fearfully doeses my child with Ibubrofin and Tylenol so her fever would not spike. She complaiined of stomach cramps and was then constipated. It tok seven days to recover.

After she was better, one week later a similar episode happened, but was more mild, only four days and not too high of a fever. My doctor didn't know what to make of the illness, because she showed no signs of normal virus infection, like running nose, cough, etc. At the hospital the first time they ran urine and blood test, but not stool.

I now believe that it was a peanut clif bar that resulted in a samonella poisoning. I recall having fed her portions of a chocalate/peanut clif bar, almost a full one the first time, and only a couple bites the second time (from the same batch I bought) before each incident and her symptoms are congruent with this diagnoses. I am contacting my doctor to alert him to the problem. Luckily she was healthy enough at 24 months that it did not enter her blood stream. However during her siezure, which she has never had before, she was chocking on her own vomit and was without oyxgen for about 2.5 minutes. I don't know if this will have any long term damage to her. My doctor seems to think she will be fine.

I had to take of 2 nights of work, I will have an ambulance ride to pay for, and emergency visit, and medications and doctors fees from my pediatrician.

Margit of Slidell, LA January 21, 2009

Hi, My family grew up on peanut butter. We went from Jiffy,peterpan and now skippy peanut butter. We have always bought peanut butter crackers because they are a easy snack.We are a military family and peanut butter and peanut butter crackers were great snacks for road trips when we moved from base to base. After hurrican katrina that is basically what we lived on being we didn't have electricty. I don't know what peanut products are safe anymore. I have throw it all away now. My children and grandchildren mean everything to me and my husband. I will have to find an alternative snack for us all. Thank you for the update on the peanut butter recall.