There was a bit of confusion over the weekend about whether there were one or four deaths in Ohio from eating Salmonella-tainted Peanut Butter. At this point, we will assume that it is one per the Ohio Department of Health Press Release. Good news is that it downgrades the death count from 11 to eight. Good news for three families.
Five months after the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak began, and nearly three weeks after the Minnesota Department of Health “spilled the beans” that tainted peanut butter was the vector, the public still has little idea why nearly 500 became ill with over 125 hospitalized and eight deaths. Now, Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) has shuttered its doors and the town of Blakely, Georgia is reconsidering itself as “Peanut Capital of the World.”
Weeks ago I asked the CDC, FDA and PCA to respond to the following list, however, there still has been limited, or no, response to my “To Do List.”
1. Make sure ALL product is promptly recalled – after a fitful start, the FDA’s website now lists hundreds of products that have been recalled. Companies who do not use PCA’s peanut butter or paste have a competing website listing those products considered safe.
2. PCA should not destroy any documents – despite legal obligations to keep documents, many manufacturing companies believe that “uncomfortable” documents are better shredded.
3. PCA should pay the medical bills and all related expenses of the innocent victims and their families – other than statistics on the CDC website, these sickened people and grieving families deserve to be treated with dignity – they should not have to worry about the financial stress of medical bills and lost wages.
4. PCA should pay the cost of all related Health Department, CDC and FDA investigations – why should taxpayers throughout the United States pay for the cost of investigating one company’s error?
5. The CDC, FDA and PCA must provide all bacterial and viral testing of all PCA peanut butter products - before and after recall.
6. The FDA and PCA must release all inspection reports on the PCA plant by any governmental entity or third-party auditor.
7. PCA must release all bacterial or viral safety precautions taken - especially after the 2007 Salmonella peanut butter outbreak.
8. The CDC, State and Local Health Departments and FDA should release all data behind the Epidemiological investigation (with names redacted), so it is clear who knew what and when about the likely source of the outbreak.
9. The FDA and the Peanut Industry must show the public what is being done now to prevent the next outbreak.
My “To Do List” is in many ways what will eventually come out - months or years from now - after the Congressional Hearings and the protracted litigation - but it will come out. Getting to it now, while the public, the politicians, the regulators and the businesses are still engaged, give us the greatest opportunity to treat the innocents with dignity and to learn from mistakes. As George Santayana said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Sixty-seven cases of Salmonella poisoning have been reported in Ohio, the most in any state during a nationwide outbreak linked to peanut butter products. The Ohio Department of Health announced Friday that four deaths (but that was a typo, there is "only" 1) have been reported among the 67 cases and 19 people have been hospitalized. Across the state, Salmonella has been reported in 26 of 88 counties. Ohioans who contracted the bacteria have ranged in age from 2 months to 89 years.
The number of ill nationwide has reached nearly 500, over 100 hospitalizations and 8 deaths. What will this week bring?
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It is likely that bird or rat feces in the Peanut Corporation of America peanut butter started all of this. There is the ever-expanding list of Salmonella free products. The FDA list of products containing tainted peanut butter continues to grow as does the list of the deaths. This morning Ohio reported four deaths (not confirmed by Department of Health which now says 1) linked to Salmonella-tainted peanut butter. Yesterday, Minnesota reported three deaths. Before that, Virginia, Idaho and North Carolina had reported a total of four deaths. By my math that adds up to eight people killed by eating peanut butter - eating peanut butter for goodness sake. However, the CDC reports only seven deaths - so far.
Weeks ago I asked the CDC, FDA, King Nut and Peanut Corporation of America to respond to the following, however, there still has been limited, or no, response to my To Do List.
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.
Where is the Corporate and Governmental responsibility to the people?
Deaths have now hit seven; hospitalizations 108, with nearly 500 total sickened. Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) has now laid off its employees; bankruptcy is in the offing because PCA only has $10,000,000 in insurance. Nearly 200 lines of peanut products have been recalled. Now, why is not preventative food safety a good idea?
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The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arizona (10), Arkansas (4), California (62), Colorado (12), Connecticut (9), Georgia (6), Hawaii (3), Idaho (11), Illinois (6), Indiana (4), Iowa (2), Kansas (2), Kentucky (3), Maine (4), Maryland (8), Massachusetts (42), Michigan (25), Minnesota (35), Missouri (9), Mississippi (3), Nebraska (1), New Hampshire (11), New Jersey (19), New York (18), Nevada (5), North Carolina (6), North Dakota (10), Ohio (67), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (7), Pennsylvania (14), Rhode Island (4), South Dakota (2), Tennessee (9), Texas (6), Utah (5), Vermont (4), Virginia (20), Washington (13), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin (3), and Wyoming (2). Additionally, one ill person was reported from Canada.
But I have my Obama Bobble Head on my desk to remind me that change is coming.
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From AP. Stunning, just stunning. I can not keep up with the FDA recall list. Nancy Luna from the OC Register has created her own recall database. So far, the Food and Drug Administration has listed 181 products recalled nationwide because they contain peanuts or peanut paste linked to a salmonella outbreak traced to the Peanut Corporation of America. More than 50 new products were added to the list today.
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If this does not catch President Obama's attention, I do not know what will. Hey, Mr. President, call me, I'll work for peanuts. From my friends at obamafoodorama - a clear perspective:
If every man, woman, and child who packed the National Mall on Obama's Inauguration Day had carried fifteen pounds of peanut butter in their prohibited backpacks, that would be about the amount of poisoned product that's currently been recalled for Salmonella Typhimurium.
New numbers from the CDC - 488 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 43 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arizona (10), Arkansas (4), California (62), Colorado (12), Connecticut (9), Georgia (6), Hawaii (3), Idaho (11), Illinois (5), Indiana (4), Iowa (2), Kansas (2), Kentucky (3), Maine (4), Maryland (8), Massachusetts (42), Michigan (25), Minnesota (35), Missouri (9), Mississippi (3), Nebraska (1), New Hampshire (11), New Jersey (19), New York (18), Nevada (5), North Carolina (6), North Dakota (10), Ohio (65), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (7), Pennsylvania (14), Rhode Island (4), South Dakota (2), Tennessee (9), Texas (6), Utah (5), Vermont (4), Virginia (20), Washington (13), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin (3), and Wyoming (2). Additionally, one ill person was reported from Canada. Among the persons with confirmed, reported dates available, illnesses began between September 8, 2008 and January 8, 2009. Patients range in age from <1 to 98 years; 48% are female. Among persons with available information, 22% reported being hospitalized. Infection may have contributed to six deaths.
Please note - actual ill likely as high as 18,837: "Overall, we estimated that there were 38.6 cases of Salmonella for each culture‐confirmed case. "FoodNet Estimate of the Burden of Illness Caused by Nontyphoidal Salmonella Infections in the United States" Clinical Infectious Diseases, April 2004.
486 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 43 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arizona (10), Arkansas (4), California (62), Colorado (12), Connecticut (9), Georgia (6), Hawaii (3), Idaho (11), Illinois (5), Indiana (4), Iowa (2), Kansas (2), Kentucky (3), Maine (4), Maryland (8), Massachusetts (42), Michigan (25), Minnesota (35), Missouri (9), Mississippi (3), Nebraska (1), New Hampshire (11), New Jersey (s19), New York (18), Nevada (5), North Carolina (4), North Dakota (10), Ohio (65), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (7), Pennsylvania (14), Rhode Island (4), South Dakota (2), Tennessee (9), Texas (6), Utah (5), Vermont (4), Virginia (20), Washington (13), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin (3), and Wyoming (2). Additionally, one ill person was reported from Canada.
FDA list of Company Recalls grows too. And, CDC does a Podcast:
- "First suit tied to peanut butter-related salmonella outbreak is filed"
- "Peanut processor faces lawsuit in salmonella outbreak"
- "Burlington Mom sues over salmonella"
- "Vermont couple sues peanut butter product maker, says 7-year-old son sickened by salmonella"
- "FDA confirms salmonella in Kellogg peanut butter snack"
- "FDA says to skip peanut-butter products"
- "Peanut butter recall list grows"
- "PB and Salmonella: The Latest Sandwich'
- "Feds do little to determine scope of spreading peanut butter poisoning"
- "Government issues peanut butter warning"
I sometimes just have to look out the office window.
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The CDC reported today that 488 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 43 states and Canada.
The FDA is adding more company press releases as the recall expands:
* Trader Joe’s Announces Voluntary Recall of Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Chewy Coated & Drizzled Granola Bars, Nutty Chocolate Chewy Coated & Drizzled Granola Bars and Sutter’s Formula Cookies Due to Possible Health Risk (January 22)
* Parker Products, Inc. Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Certain Peanut Butter Products (January 22)
* Arbonne International Voluntarily Recalls Figure 8 Peanut Butter Chews Due To Possible Health Risk (January 22)
* Jimmy's Cookies Issues Nationwide Recall of Various Peanut Butter Cookies Due to Possible Health Risk (January 22)
*Perry's Ice Cream Company Adds Two Products to Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter Ice Cream Products (January 22)
* Kroger Recalls Additional Select Ice Cream Product Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
*General Nutrition Centers, Inc. Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Certain Lots of GNC Triflex Peanut Butter Soft Chews (January 22)
* Chef Jay’s Food Products Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Products Containing Peanut Butter Due to Possible Health Risk (January 21)
* Rain Creek Baking Corporation Announces Voluntary Withdrawal of Peanut Butter Turtles, Peanut Butter Baskets and Peanut Butter Princesses Due to Possible Health Risk (January 22)
* South Bend Chocolate Company Extends Nationwide Recall of Candy Containing Peanut Butter Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination (January 22) New!
* Nash Finch Recalls Bakery Products With Peanut Butter Distributed in Seven States Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Aspen Hills, Inc. Announces Voluntary Product Recall of Certain Cookie Dough Products (January 22)
* Best Brands Corp. Announces Voluntary Recall of Peanut Butter Frozen Cookie Dough (January 21)
* Lovin Oven, LLC Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Health Valley Organic Peanut Crunch Chewy Granola Bars (January 21)
* Landies Candies Co. Inc Announces Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter Filled Chocolates Due to Possible Health Risk (January 21)
* Weis Markets Announces Voluntary Recall of Weis Quality (WQ) Cheese Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and WQ Toasted Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Blanton's Candies Recalls Peanut Butter Sticks Because of Possible Health Risk (January 21)
* Dinners Ready Meridian Recalls November & December Asian Marinated Flank Steak, Indonesian Chicken and Chicken Satay Prepared Meals Because of Possible Health Risk (January 20)
*Boca Grande Foods Announces a Nationwide Recall of POCO PAC®, and GRANDE GOURMET™ Peanut Butter Products Because of Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Premier Nutrition Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of selected TWISTED and TITAN Branded Bars Containing Peanut Butter Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
*NutriSystem Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Peanut Butter Granola Bar Due to Possible Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) Contamination and Potential Health Risk (January 21)
*Ready Pac Foods, Inc Announces Voluntary Product Recall (January 20)
*PetSmart Voluntarily Recalls Grreat Choice® Dog Biscuits (January 20)
* Nature's Path Recalls Peanut Butter Optimum Energy Bars Nationwide Because of Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Country Maid Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Classic Breaks® Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Evening Rise Bread Co. Recalls Peanut Butter Cookies and Bars Because of Possible Health Risk (January 19)
* Clif Bar & Company Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of CLIF® and LUNA® Branded Bars Containing Peanut Butter Due to Possible Health Risk (January 19)
* Kroger Recalls Select Ice Cream Products Due to Possible Health Risk (January 19)
* Abbott Nutrition Announces Voluntary Recall of ZonePerfect® Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, ZonePerfect® Peanut Toffee Bars and NutriPals™ Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars in U.S., Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore (January 19)
* Meijer Announces Voluntary Recall for Some Meijer Brand Peanut Butter Crackers and Ice Cream Because of Possible Health Risk (January 19)
* Peanut Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 18)
* Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Recalls Wal-Mart Bakery Brand Peanut Butter Cookies Because Of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Recalls Lofthouse Peanut Butter Cookies, Chuck's Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies And Pastries Plus Gourmet Cookies Nationwide Because Of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Recalls Food Lion Bake Shop Peanut Butter Cookies Nationwide Because Of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* South Bend Chocolate Company Recalls Various Candys Containing Peanut Butter Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination (January 18)
* McKee Foods Corporation Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Toasty and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich Crackers Because of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* Perry's Ice Cream Company Announces Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter Ice Cream Products Due to Possible Health Risk (January 17)
* Hy-Vee Inc. Recalls Bakery Products With Peanut Butter Distributed in Seven States Due to Possible Health Risk (January 17)
* Peanut Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 16)
* Kellogg Company Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Austin® and Keebler® Branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and Select Snack-Size Packs of Famous Amos® And Keebler® Soft Batch Peanut Butter Cookies Because of Possible Health Risk (January 16)
* Peanut Corporation of America Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 13)
* King Nut Issues Peanut Butter Recall (January 10)
As of a few moments ago, the FDA website has added at least two more recalled products. Please check the site and your cupboards. My advise is to simply stay away from peanut products for a few more days until things clear up a bit more.
From the CDC - Monday, January 19, 2009, 485 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 43 states and Canada. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arizona (10), Arkansas (4), California (62), Colorado (11), Connecticut (9), Georgia (6), Hawaii (3), Idaho (11), Illinois (5), Indiana (4), Iowa (1), Kansas (2), Kentucky (3), Maine (4), Maryland (8), Massachusetts (42), Michigan (25), Minnesota (35), Missouri (9), Mississippi (3), Nebraska (2), New Hampshire (11), New Jersey (19), New York (18), Nevada (5), North Carolina (4), North Dakota (10), Ohio (65), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (7), Pennsylvania (14), Rhode Island (4), South Dakota (2), Tennessee (9), Texas (6), Utah (5), Vermont (4), Virginia (20), Washington (13), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin (3), and Wyoming (2).
Among the 469 persons with dates available, illnesses began between September 8, 2008 and January 9, 2009. Patients range in age from <1 to 98 years; 48% are female. Among persons with available information, 23% reported being hospitalized. Infection may have contributed to six deaths.
Talked to the folks at USA Today between fielding phone calls of upset parents and family members of people, many kids, sickened with Salmonella-tainted Peanut Butter. The story in part reads:
The pace of new recall announcements has been slow, some food-safety experts say....
The recall has engulfed snack foods popular with children. Salmonella is especially risky for the young, old and those with weaker immune systems. The Food and Drug Administration says peanut butter sold in stores is fine but advised consumers not to eat other products containing peanut butter or paste until they're cleared....
"Consumers are confused," says William Marler, a food-safety attorney.
He says he bought recalled product Sunday, indicating that retailers may be confused, too.
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A lawsuit stemming from the national outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium in peanut butter will be filled Tuesday against the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) in the US District Court, Middle District of Georgia. The complaint was filed on behalf of Vermont residents Gabrielle and Daryl Meunier, whose son was sickened in the outbreak.
The outbreak, which began in September, has sickened more that 475 people, hospitalized over 90, and contributed to six deaths. The illnesses were first linked to peanut butter on January 9, and later traced to a PCA processing plant in Blakely, GA. Many companies who purchased peanut butter or peanut paste from the plant have begun recalling products. One of the first was Kellogg’s, who recalled Keebler brand peanut butter cracker sandwiches, but it was too late for the Meunier family, whose son consumed the crackers and fell ill on November 25.
The 7-year-old’s symptoms were fever, vomiting, and frequent bouts of diarrhea, which turned bloody. When he did not improve, his family took him to the emergency room, where he was admitted to the hospital. He remained hospitalized until December 4. During that time, he tested positive for what would later be revealed as the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium. He is still recovering from his illness, experiencing recurring diarrhea, painful stomach cramps, and body aches and pains.
“Today is a tremendous day in America. We are inaugurating a President who campaigned on a platform of change, hope, and justice. I sincerely hope that Mr. Obama will be able to effect change in our food safety agencies and policies. In the mean time, hundreds of Americans are ill, and six families are mourning. All of those families have medical bills, some have lost time at work, and we all know what a strain that is. Something has to be done about it.”
“We learned a lot in the last peanut butter outbreak, and it’s sad that we have to put that knowledge to use. But what we know is that we have to make sure all possibly contaminated product is promptly recalled, and that the responsible companies step up to pay the medical bills of the victims as well as the cost of government investigations. In addition, the public needs to know what safety precautions the Peanut Corporation of America was taking, especially after the 2007 outbreak. Finally, they need to show the public what will be done to prevent the next outbreak.”
Email I just received:
So this may just be coincidental, but I have had a very sick dog for the last few days and the only real difference in her diet has been the new peanut butter dog biscuits I purchased a little over a week ago. Where do the pet food industries get thier peanut butter from?
Any thoughts?
Just got this email:
PCA did recall:
561000 35 lb Pet Food Paste
561000 475 lb Feed Grade Peanut Butter
As part of the “press release a minute,” Kellogg announces that FDA tests reveal that some of its cracker products are contaminated.
Products impacted by the previously-announced Kellogg Company recall were produced on or after July 1, 2008, including:
Austin(R) Quality Foods Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes
Austin(R) Quality Foods Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
Austin(R) Quality Foods Mega Stuffed Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes
Austin(R) Quality Foods PB & J Cracker Sandwiches - all sizes
Austin(R) Quality Foods Super Snack Pack Sandwich Crackers
Austin(R) Quality Foods Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
Austin(R) Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter - all sizes
Austin(R) Quality Foods Reduced Fat Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
Austin(R) Quality Foods Reduced Fat Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
Austin(R) Quality Foods Cookie/Cracker Pack Austin(R)
Quality Foods Variety Pack Keebler(R) Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
Keebler(R) Toast & PB'n J Flavored Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
Keebler(R) Toast & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - all sizes
Famous Amos(R) Peanut Butter Cookies (2- and 3-ounce)
Keebler(R) Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies (2.5-ounce)
As I said on King TV last night:
"This outbreak has been going on since Labor Day," said Seattle attorney Bill Marler. "We're finally figuring it out on Inauguration Day. To me, I find that appalling.”
From a Company Press Release on FDA Website:
Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) is expanding the recall of peanut butter and peanut paste made at its Blakely, Georgia facility because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The potential for contamination was noted after a small number of samples from unopened containers and environmental samples from the Blakely, Georgia facility tested positive for Salmonella.
The recalled peanut butter and peanut paste were distributed to institutions, food service industries, and private label food companies in 24 states, the province of Saskatchewan in Canada, Korea and Haiti for further processing. The U.S. states are the following: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In addition, affected product was used as an ingredient in other products that may have been distributed in other states.
The recalled peanut butter in the expanded recall is sold by PCA in bulk packaging in containers ranging in size from five to 1,700 pounds. The peanut paste is sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound containers to tanker containers. The lot numbers for all recalled products are at the end of this news release. All of the peanut butter and peanut paste in the expanded recall was made on or after July 1, 2008, and only at the Georgia facility.
A Full list of all recalled product can be found here – Link.
The FDA asked us all to not eat peanut butter yesterday. Companies with any amount of peanut butter from The Peanut Corporation of America are now battling each other to get the next Press Release out touting the next recall. After illnesses began on Labor Day 2008, to have this warning days before Inauguration Day is embarrassing. To have 474 confirmed illnesses, 109 hospitalizations and 6 deaths linked to Salmonella-tainted peanut butter is immoral. And, the public still has no clear idea what products are safe or why such a staple as peanut butter could kill.
It is long past time for the President and Congress to stop talking about food safety and to actually do something about it. Remember, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one-forth of all Americans are poisoned each year by food, 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 needlessly die. It is time to fully fund the needs of State Health Departments and the CDC to help prevent and track bacterial and viral illnesses. The FDA and FSIS need more inspectors and a rational inspection system for both foreign and domestic goods. We can not wait for the next nationwide outbreak - whether caused by a mistake or by terrorism. It is time to encourage Food-Corporate America and our international trading partners that it really is a bad idea to poison customers. Encouragement needs to be both by enforceable, fair regulations and by tax credits for investments in food safety technologies. This can be done.
This week you will not be making your child a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because our food supply is not a safe as it should be. This is wrong. Mr. President, I know you have a lot of other things on your plate, but putting peanut butter back in your girls’ lunches should be on your list.
Note - folks are leaving messages on my office phone (1-206-346-1890). Feel free to call my cell (1-206-794-5043) or email me at bmarler@marlerclark.com.
Yes, and while your at it can you tell your next head of FDA and CDC or the "Food Safety Czar" to respond, or ask the companies involved to respond to my questions about this outbreak?
• Make sure ALL product is promptly recalled;
• Do not destroy any documents;
• The companies should pay the medical bills and all related expenses of the innocent victims and their families;
• The companies should pay the cost of all related Health Department, CDC and FDA investigations;
• Provide all bacterial and viral testing of all recalled product and any other tested product (before and after recall);
• Release all inspection reports on the plants by any Governmental Entity or Third-party Auditor;
• Release all Salmonella safety precautions taken by either King Nut or Peanut Corporation of America - especially after the 2007 Salmonella Peanut Butter Outbreak;
• 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
• Show the public what is being done to prevent the next outbreak.
On January 16 Kellogg Company Announced the Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Austin® and Keebler® Branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and Select Snack-Size Packs of Famous Amos® And Keebler® Soft Batch Peanut Butter Cookies Because of Possible Health Risk. Guess what I bought all of at the gas station today?
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Based on available information, CDC and FDA recommendations include:
For Consumers
* Do not eat products that have been recalled and throw them away in a manner that prevents others from eating them.
* Postpone eating other peanut butter containing products (such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream) until information becomes available about whether that product may be affected.
* Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised to consult their health care providers.
For Retailers
* Stop selling recalled products (unless Marler is buying them).
For Directors of Institutions and Food Service Establishments
* Ensure that they are not serving recalled products.
For Manufacturers
* Inform consumers about whether their products could contain peanut butter or peanut paste from Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). If a manufacturer knows their products do not contain peanut paste from PCA, they should inform consumers of that.
To date, no association has been found with major national brand name jars of peanut butter sold in grocery stores.
Yesterday, "[t]he FDA urged consumers on Saturday to avoid eating peanut butter and products that contain it until they can determine the scope of an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning that may have contributed to six deaths." Also, on the FDA website it lists products that have been recalled by companies:
* South Bend Chocolate Company Recalls Various Candys Containing Peanut Butter Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination (January 18)
* Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Recalls Food Lion Bake Shop Peanut Butter Cookies Nationwide Because of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* McKee Foods Corporation Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Toasty and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich Crackers Because of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* Perry's Ice Cream Company Announces Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter Ice Cream Products Due to Possible Health Risk (January 17)
* Hy-Vee Inc. Recalls Bakery Products With Peanut Butter Distributed in Seven States Due to Possible Health Risk (January 17)
* Peanut Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 16)
* Kellogg Company Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Austin® and Keebler® Branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and Select Snack-Size Packs of Famous Amos® And Keebler® Soft Batch Peanut Butter Cookies Because of Possible Health Risk (January 16)
* Peanut Corporation of America Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 13)
* King Nut Issues Peanut Butter Recall (January 10)
My suggestion is to not eat ANY peanut butter products or products that contain peanut butter until things become a bit clearer.
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I sent off a press release this morning asking for the FDA to do its job and recall peanut butter likely implicated in this recent Salmonella outbreak, and then I leave Minneapolis for the short flight to Seattle. So, guess what happens when I am in the air - The FDA does its job. When I landed I got this email"
"The FDA urged consumers on Saturday to avoid eating peanut butter and products that contain it until they can determine the scope of an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning that may have contributed to six deaths."
"We urge consumers to postpone eating any products that may contain peanut butter until additional information becomes available," Dr. Stephen Sundlof of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety said in a teleconference with reporters.
"As of now, there is no indication that "major national name brand jars of peanut butter sold in retail stores are linked" to bulk supplies of peanut butter and peanut paste recalled for fear of possible contamination, the FDA said in a follow-up statement.
On the plane I was reading "The Great Crash" (not great reading on a plane perhaps) by John Kenneth Galbraith about the stock crash of 1929, and noticed that the nuts I was about to eat where from King Nut, presumably sourced from Peanut Corporation of America. I must admit, I ate them. Now I wait.
An infectious dose of Salmonella is small, probably from 15 to 20 cells. The incubation period – the time between ingestion of Salmonella bacteria and the onset of illness – varies from six to 72 hours (Mayo Clinic, 2007, April 12; MMWR Recomm Rep, 2001).
As I said to AP before I left - I am glad the FDA stepped up during the flight:
Seattle-area lawyer William Marler, who specializes in food safety cases, said the government shouldn't wait for the results of more tests to request recalls.
"At least 30 companies purchased peanut butter or paste from a facility with a documented link to a nationwide salmonella outbreak," said Marler. "The FDA has the authority actually, the mandate to request recalls if the public health is threatened. Instead, the FDA has asked the companies to test their products and consider voluntary recalls. It is just not enough."
I am calling on the FDA to request recalls of foods containing peanut butter products manufactured in the Peanut Corporation of America’s (PCA) Blakely, GA plant. Tests have shown that product produced in the facility carries the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium, which has sickened at least 453 people in 43 states and Canada and may have contributed to six deaths.
“At least thirty companies purchased peanut butter or paste from a facility with a documented link to a nation-wide Salmonella outbreak,” said Marler. “The FDA has the authority – actually, the mandate – to request recalls if the public health is threatened. Instead, the FDA has asked the companies to test their products and consider voluntary recalls. It is just not enough.”
The earliest illnesses were documented in September, 2008 and have stretched over a 4-month period. At least 90 people have been hospitalized. Six people have had the outbreak strain when they died, and it is thought that the Salmonella infection contributed to their deaths.
“The CDC estimates that for every documented Salmonella illness, there are another 38 people who just “tough it out” and don’t go to the doctor or are never tested. That means that this outbreak may have sickened more than 15,000 people. It is the FDA’s responsibility to make sure that it doesn’t sicken anyone else.”
I have laid out specific recommendations over the last week:
• Make sure ALL product is promptly recalled;
• Do not destroy any documents;
• The companies should pay the medical bills and all related expenses of the innocent victims and their families;
• The companies should pay the cost of all related Health Department, CDC and FDA investigations;
• Provide all bacterial and viral testing of all recalled product and any other tested product (before and after recall);
• Release all inspection reports on the plants by any Governmental Entity or Third-party Auditor;
• Release all Salmonella safety precautions taken by either King Nut or Peanut Corporation of America - especially after the 2007 Salmonella Peanut Butter Outbreak;
• 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
• Show the public what is being done to prevent the next outbreak.
“Not all companies will be as proactive as Kellogg’s in recalling their product, Marler continued. “Which is why we have a government agency to make sure public health is always the first priority. The FDA needs to take swift and decisive action to get potentially contaminated products out of circulation.”
Kellogg is recalling 16 products including crackers and other products in light of the problems in Georgia. The recall includes Austin and Keebler branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, as well as some snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.
The FDA, and the states of Minnesota, Georgia and Connecticut, confirmed Salmonella contamination in peanut butter manufactured at the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) facility that ships peanut products to 85 other food companies, including Kellogg.
So, why no recall of these other products? Don’t you think it makes sense to recall all products that may have PCA product that may well have been produced during the time likely to be contributing to the illness and deaths?
FDA, it is time to step up. You have the authority to recall – use it.
TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SUBCHAPTER A--GENERAL
PART 7 -- ENFORCEMENT POLICY
Subpart C--Recalls (Including Product Corrections)--Guidance on Policy, Procedures, and Industry Responsibilities
Sec. 7.45 Food and Drug Administration-requested recall.
(a) The Commissioner of food and Drugs or designee may request a firm to initiate a recall when the following determinations have been made:
(1) That a product that has been distributed presents a risk of illness or injury or gross consumer deception.
(2) That the firm has not initiated a recall of the product.
(3) That an agency action is necessary to protect the public health and welfare.
Efoodalert alerted me that food inspectors conducting recall effectiveness checks in the state of Connecticut in response to the nationwide Salmonella outbreak linked to King Nut peanut butter have confirmed the presence of Salmonella bacteria in an unopened five-pound tub of peanut butter found at a Connecticut food distributor, Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr.
“This is the first unopened tub (Georgia may disagree) of King Nut peanut butter found in the country that is definitively identified as being tainted with salmonella,” Farrell said. “My office just received the results from the Connecticut Department of Public Health Laboratory confirming the presence of Salmonella Type B in an unopened tub. This provides further evidence that some lots of King Nut brand peanut butter delivered to food service accounts are responsible for a recent outbreak of salmonella infections in consumers.”
The product, bearing one of the lot numbers identified in the recall, (lot # 8234 with a production date of 8/21/2008) was found at City Line distributors of West Haven. It was the only tub of that recalled lot. However, agency inspectors have taken samples of the other King Nut peanut butter tubs for analysis.
Laboratory tests by the Georgia Department of Agriculture have confirmed Salmonella contamination in some peanut butter manufactured by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) processing facility in Blakely, Georgia.
We have confirmation for Salmonella,” said Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin. “The sample that tested positive came from an unopened five-pound tub of King Nut Creamy Peanut Butter with “Best Before 1/07/10” collected at the plant by one of our inspectors.”
Further testing will be required to determine if this is the type of Salmonella linked to illnesses across the country.
According to the AP, the FDA is expanding its investigation of peanut products in a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds and killed at least six. In addition, the FDA is notifying 30 to 85 companies that bought peanut butter or peanut paste from a Georgia facility to test their products and asked to consider halting sales. No names listed on FDA website.
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Today, the CDC reported 453 persons (454 if you count the Canadian) infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 43 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arizona (9), Arkansas (4), California (60), Colorado (10), Connecticut (8), Georgia (6), Hawaii (1), Idaho (10), Illinois (5), Indiana (3), Iowa (1), Kansas (2), Kentucky (3), Maine (4), Maryland (7), Massachusetts (40), Michigan (25), Minnesota (33), Missouri (8), Mississippi (1), Nebraska (1), New Hampshire (11), New Jersey (18), New York (18), Nevada (5), North Carolina (4), North Dakota (10), Ohio (57), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (5), Pennsylvania (13), Rhode Island (4), South Dakota (2), Tennessee (8), Texas (6), Utah (4), Vermont (4), Virginia (20), Washington (13), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin (3), and Wyoming (2). Among the 437 persons with dates available, illnesses began between September 08 and December 31, 2008. Patients range in age from <1 to 98 years; 47% are female. Among persons with available information, 23% reported being hospitalized. Infection may have contributed to five deaths.
Now North Carolina reports another death. And, still there is silence from CDC, FDA, King Nut and Peanut Corporation of America on my To Do List?
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.
How many more illnesses or deaths? This reminds me of Hanlon's razor which reads:
"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
The other plaintiffs’ lawyer is Seattle attorney William D. Marler, who has built his reputation by successfully litigating on behalf of thousands of people sickened by E. coli, salmonella, Listeria and other food-borne illnesses.You can read more about Marler Clark's involvement in ConAgra peanut butter litigation here.
Marler’s successes include suits on behalf of the families of E. coli-sickened children against the fast-food hamburger chain Jack in the Box in 1993 and against fruit juice producer Odwalla Inc. in 1996. In 1998, Marler represented several metro-Atlanta children sickened with E. coli they contracted through contaminated swimming pool water at Marietta’s White Water amusement park, among them the 4-year-old son of then Atlanta Braves shortstop Walt Weiss. Marler’s small clients included the most critically ill children who were hospitalized after their E. coli exposure.
Marler’s Web site states that the Seattle attorney eventually settled the White Water claims for “millions of dollars.”
Marler’s firm, Marler Clark, has also represented victims sickened by E. coli they contracted in 2002 from contaminated ground beef produced at a ConAgra meatpacking plant. ConAgra settled with those victims without litigation, according to a Marler Clark pleading on file in Atlanta.
Marler Clark is adopting a two-pronged offense in the ConAgra litigation. The firm is representing plaintiffs who were sickened by the contaminated peanut butter in a potential class action. But it also is filing individual suits on behalf of more seriously stricken clients who were hospitalized with salmonella poisoning.
The Omaha company recalled all its peanut butter in February after government investigators linked the bacteria outbreak to ConAgra's Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter.ConAgra spokesman David Palfenier has indicated that the re-launch of Peter Pan will be the be the single-largest investment ever made in the product.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) has continued selling Great Value peanut butter, its store brand, made by different suppliers, but Peter Pan has yet to return to stores.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the peanut butter to the illnesses of more than 625 people in 47 states.
In February 2007, a case-control study with 65 patients and 124 controls was conducted to identify the food item associated with illness; the majority of interviews were completed by state and local health departments and were coordinated by CDC. For the study, a case was defined as infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Tennessee in a person aged >18 years with a history of diarrhea. Controls were well adults from the patient's community who were matched by geographic location. Controls were identified using a reverse online telephone directory that when given an address provided telephone numbers for residences in the same extended neighborhood as the patients. The median ages for the patients and controls were 53 and 58 years, respectively. Patients were more likely than controls to have eaten peanut butter (81% versus 65%, matched odds ratio [mOR] = 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.8--5.2), to have eaten peanut butter more than once a week (66% versus 40%, mOR = 3.5, CI = 1.4--9.9), and to have eaten either Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter (67% versus 13%, mOR = 10.9, CI = 3.8--43.0). Neither the consumption of other peanut butter brands nor consumption of turkey products was associated with illness.We are continuing our own investigation into nearly 5,000 claims of illness after eating the peanut butter.
Epidemiologic data suggesting Peter Pan brands of peanut butter as the possible source of the outbreak were provided to FDA officials on February 13, 2007. The following day, FDA issued a health alert to consumers indicating that they should not eat Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter with a product code beginning with 2111, both of which were manufactured in a single facility in Georgia operated by ConAgra Foods. ConAgra Foods voluntarily recalled the products, destroyed existing products in their possession, and temporarily halted production pending further investigation.
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