Food Politics

So does this mean it is safe to open and eat the new family jar of peanut butter we just bought at the grocery store?

Sheila, as Marion pointed out, the recall only effects brands of peanut butter distributed to institutional kitchens, meaning hospitals, schools, long-term care facilities, etc. King Nut and its affiliate do not sell their product on the retail market. In other words, the peanut butter you purchased at the store is fine.

Marion, what’s particularly interesting about all this is that the peanut butter’s actual manufacturer, Peanut Corporation of America, says they’re not responsible for the contamination. PCA evidently makes peanut products which it distributes itself and for private labels.

If the majority of cases of Salmonella infection in Minnesota can be attributed to that one source – the open 5-pound can of peanut butter in a Minnesota nursing facility – then it means the cases in that state are largely unrelated to what has been happening in other states. PCA suggested the peanut butter in Minnesota may have been the source of cross contamination, which is entirely possible. Considering that only 30 people have been identified in Minnesota as of Friday, it’s not a far-fetched notion.

Tracking down outbreaks of food-borne pathogens is always challenging, particularly when they’re so widespread. It can take a very long while to identify an outbreak since the initial reporting is done at the local level through counties, hospitals, and municipal governments and these institutions are not tied into a single information network.

Since there hasn’t, as yet, been any information identifying who the victims are, and what their common ties might be, it’s difficult to report about such an event with solid information. I will, on the other hand, dig into my jar of Adam’s peanut butter without fear or hesitation.

People get Salmonella Typhimurium from eating Peanut Butter, Minnesota points the finger at King Nut, who points the finger at Peanut Corporation of America, so what is next?

Minnesota Department of Health announces late Friday that the have linked thirty illnesses ( and a death) to the consumption of King Nut Peanut Butter (and Parnell’s Pride?). There is nothing on the CDC website or other State Health Department sites naming names – yet. On Saturday King Nut and the FDA jointly release a recall notification, but King Nut blames the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) for its problem. PCA’s lawyers write a press release that tries to deny as much as possible.

So, what is next? Here are a few ideas (not in any particular order) that the companies involved and the government should do Monday morning:

1. Make sure ALL product is promptly recalled;

2. Do not destroy any documents;

3. The companies should pay the medical bills and all related expenses of the innocent victims and their families;

4. The companies should pay the cost of all related Health Department, CDC and FDA investigations;

5. Provide all bacterial and viral testing of all recalled product and any other tested product (before and after recall);

6. Release all inspection reports on the plants by any Governmental Entity or Third-party Auditor;

7. Release all Salmonella safety precautions taken by either King Nut or Peanut Corporation of America – especially after the 2007 Salmonella Peanut Butter Outbreak;

8. Provide the public with the Epidemiological investigation (with names redacted), so it is clear who knew what and when about the likely source of the outbreak; and,

9. Show the public what is being done to prevent the next outbreak.

Taking these steps will go a long way in convincing us that food safety and consumer confidence is of primary importance both to the companies and the government.

[...] recent outbreak of salmonella in the US has been traced to peanut [...]